Elastic Heart
by BigRedMachineUK
Summary: It's bad enough that you're stuck in the horrors of this new world, where every second is spent fighting for survival. Bad enough that you have to deal with a group of people you barely trust. Add in the fact that you have feelings for the group's leader – who happens to be married – and you have to wonder what you ever did to be dealt such a shitty hand in life. Rick/OC.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hi everyone. This is my very first attempt at a TWD fic. I've seen quite a number of TWD fics that have impressed the heck out of me. I hope you get to give 'Elastic Heart' a chance too, especially since it's a Rick story. It seems to me that if it's not a Daryl fic, no one will pay attention to it. I hope I'll be able to sway you. It may start a little slow, but I have big plans for this story and my OC, I promise.**_

_**Most of the story will be based on the episodes from season 2 onwards. Not all of the dialogue and scenery will be accurate, and that's done deliberately. Remember this is fanfiction, and it's called artistic license. :)**_

_**The usual disclaimer. I don't own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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It was late afternoon. The blue skies were fast giving way to the purple streaks and an orange sunset. It was beautiful, picturesque even. But no one noticed. Six figures sat around the front porch of the farmhouse…waiting, wondering, worrying about Carl Grimes' condition. It was a few hours since the group left the highway and reached the farm, about twenty-fours since they left the CDC. God knew how long it had been since they left the ruins of Atlanta. The owner of the farm, Hershel Greene, had been working on taking the bullet out of Carl's body since they got there. Everyone was worried, anxious, physically and emotionally drained. Unfortunately, Evelyn thought cynically, this was a regular occurrence in the nightmarish world they lived in today.

Glenn slumped down onto the space next to Evelyn. "This is so fucked up," he muttered beside her, taking off his snapback and running his hand through his dark hair. Evelyn didn't bother responding. She could list a million incidents he might be referring to over the past couple of days. Or was it weeks? Evelyn didn't know anymore. So much had happened since the day she fled her home.

Walkers taking over the world. Finding Rick Grimes in the outskirts of King County. Traveling to Atlanta. Glenn saving the two of them from all those Walkers in the city. Meeting up with his group at the quarry. Dealing with assholes like Ed Peletier and the Dixon brothers – though Daryl, the surviving kin, was slowly starting to win her over. Slowly. Losing all those people at the camp. Amy. Jim. Nearly getting blown up inside the CDC building. Dr. Jenner. Jacqui. Sophia, Carol Peletier's daughter, was now missing. A horde of Walkers had swarmed the highway where they were and scared her off. They hadn't found her yet. They'd been searching for her in the woods when they heard the gunshot go off. And now here they were, on this farm, watching helplessly as little Carl fought for his life. Evelyn couldn't get over how unfair this was. He was just a kid – a cute little boy with his whole life ahead of him. He didn't deserve any of this, this situation, this _world_. His parents, Lori and Rick, were yet to be seen by the rest of the group. They were still inside the farmhouse, as was T-Dog, who had hurt his arm badly at the highway. All Evelyn wanted to do since hearing about Carl was hold Rick close and tell him everything will be alright. But she couldn't. Not in the way she wanted to anyway, because it was not her place. It would never be her place.

The front door opened, and they all shot to their feet when Lori emerged. Her hand covered her mouth, and she looked pale and thinner than she normally was. Dale was first to speak. "How is he? How's Carl?"

Lori tried to speak but her bottom lip was trembling badly. "Hershel's got one bullet fragment out…five more to go," she managed to explain, looking at them with tearful eyes. Evelyn noticed how everyone else gasped at the number she mentioned. "He…he needs surgery. Rick's donating blood as we speak." Trailing off, Lori lowered her head, highly emotional, and Carol went over to comfort her.

The rest of them stood there, shell-shocked. Surgery? How the hell was he going to get surgery? There wasn't a hospital for miles, and even if there was, it was probably overrun by Walkers by now.

Shane appeared outside moments after Lori, and Evelyn noticed him cast a quick glance towards Rick's wife before facing the rest of the group. "Hershel says he's going to need medical equipment for the surgery. It's the only way Carl will live," he said, and then it hit Evelyn. Carl was having the surgery there. Inside the farmhouse.

Wow.

Otis, the portly man they learned had accidentally shot Carl while trying to kill a buck, was quick to offer a solution. The guilt on his face was prevalent, and rightly so. "The nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago, but we might find supplies at the high school nearby," he says, clearly eager to make up for what he did. "FEMA set up a shelter there – but it was overrun last time I saw it. You couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now."

Shane stared long and hard at Otis before letting out a heavy sigh. "I guess that's my cue," he finally said, more to himself than anyone else, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

"You can't go alone," said Lori, and Dale, Glenn and Andrea all nodded their head in agreement.

"For Rick and Carl, I'm willing to," Shane merely shrugged and looked at Otis. "Do me a list, draw me a map."

"You won't need a map," said Otis. "I'll take you there."

Otis' wife Patricia stepped forward. "Otis, no," she pleaded, her eyes wide and anxious, and who could blame her?

"Honey, we don't have time for guess work," he answered, shaking his head. "And I'm responsible for this. I ain't gonna sit here and let this fella takes this all alone." He sighed at the look on his wife's face. "I'll be alright," he told her in a gentler tone, before looking around at the new faces. "I'm a voluntary EMT – I know what the stuff Hershel needs looks like."

All of the group exchanged looks and nodded. And just like that, it was settled. Otis and Shane were going to get the supplies. Evelyn watched as Shane led Lori away and whispered something to her. He looked like he was consoling her – he probably was, but ever since she saw them together in the CDC library, Evelyn knew there was a whole lot more going on between them. She wondered if anyone else did.

She wondered if Rick did.

"Gonna head back out, search for the girl," Daryl announced, hoisting his trusty crossbow over his shoulder. He had been the one leading the search for Sophia, and Evelyn couldn't help but be impressed about how seriously he was taking this task. In the beginning, he'd made himself out to be self-centered, obnoxious and belligerent, him and his irritant of a brother, but he was different these days, making more of an effort to be a team player and protect the group. Daryl was alright by Evelyn, though she wouldn't say it out loud just yet.

"I'm going with you," Andrea said in a tone that left the hunter no room to argue. As they walked off towards the woods, Evelyn rolled her eyes. She'd never been fond of bossy people.

"I'll go check on T-Dog and his arm," Glenn said, looking at Evelyn.

"You do that," she replied, "and make sure you get some rest afterwards. You look out on your feet."

Glenn chuckled. "I probably am." His already small smile disappeared altogether when he glanced over at Carol, who looked on the verge of tears once again. He then returned his pointed gaze to Evelyn, giving her the special 'Glenn' look that never failed to make her feel bad. "Fine, I'll handle her," the blonde woman conceded with a sigh. Though she had grown fond of the older woman, it wasn't a task she was particularly looking forward to. Carol was upset and understandably so, and there was nothing one could do right now to calm her down, nothing except bring her daughter back. Glenn had tried to comfort her earlier, only to get a cold response in return. Evelyn had a strong feeling that she would receive the same treatment, but she thought she should try anyway.

Walking over to Carol, she placed a gentle arm around her and led her away from the front porch and towards Dale and his Winnebago, which was now stationed at a distance from the farmhouse. As they walked, Evelyn spoke over the silence. "I know everyone's been saying the same thing to you since, but that's because we believe it. We'll find Sophia," she assured Carol quietly, "My bet's on Daryl. He's very good at what he does. He'll be the one to find her and bring her back. Alive."

Carol only continued to stare ahead, making no response other than a weak nod of her head. Evelyn supposed it was at least better than what Glenn got. She gently rubbed Carol's arm, hoping to give her some sort of strength. All the while, her thoughts were on Rick. She couldn't help but notice that he was yet to come out of the house. It took much of her willpower to not go back and check on him. The group had all agreed to not barge into the farmhouse and make the owners uncomfortable anyway. Still, she really hoped he was alright.

After ensuring Carol was safe inside the RV, Evelyn climbed up to the top to keep watch for Daryl and Andrea when they returned. As she checked the safety on her handgun and ensured her other weapons were intact, she could hear Dale trudging around down below and Carol's soft crying inside the RV. Her heart went out to her. Evelyn couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a daughter this way, the heartbreaking feeling of not knowing where she was, whether she was alive or dead…or worse. Although she guessed it wasn't that different from losing a mother to a Walker's bite. Evelyn knew _that_ all too well.

Running her fingers through her blond hair, she turned her gaze towards the expanse of land stretched out before her. Beautiful. Scenic. Walker-free. She stared, seeing without really seeing anything. She sat there, wondering when exactly her world had gone to shit; wishing, not for the first time, that she could turn back the hands of time…

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_**So that's the first chapter. What do you guys think about it? About Evelyn? Not much about her yet, but we're getting there. Fingers crossed for nice reviews. Thanks so much in advance!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Yay, three reviews! Brilliant start, thought no one would read it at all. Thank you guys. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**_

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_Other than my relatively shitty high school years, I had an amazing childhood. I was born ten years after my parents were married, against all the odds, after doctors had told my mother she would probably never have children. It was no surprise then, that they named me Miracle. Evelyn Miracle Dunham, to be precise. As expected, my parents all but spoiled me. Daddy and I were particularly close, closer than I was to mom, although I loved her just as much. We lived in Atlanta, and every last weekend of the month, Dad and I would drive to King County, a neighboring small town where he grew up. We would go camping in the woods, and he taught me to shoot, hunt, how to defend and protect myself – boy, did that come in handy in later life – and tell me stories about his time in the Army. I always looked forward to our trips, and soaked up all the information he fed me with. Even after I started attending college, I would come home whenever I could and sneak in a day or two in King County. We weren't exactly rich, but no one would have guessed because I never lacked for anything. I was so proud of Daddy; I loved how everyone said I was just like him – I had my mother's blonde hair, athletic figure and grey eyes, but my father's adventurous streak and fighting spirit was passed down to me. I worshipped the ground he walked on. He was my hero – so brave and smart and funny, and I always noticed how he would look at my mother like she was the only woman in the world. I always wished that a man would look at me like that one day._

_Then, five years ago, my world and everything in it changed drastically when he became seriously ill. It was quite a shock, seeing him bedridden and so weak, a stark contrast from the sturdy, lively, active man I grew up knowing. His death destroyed me. It felt like a part of me had died with him. But I soon realized that was the least of my problems. Things got so bad financially that I was forced to drop out of college and return home to take care of my mother, who all but shut down after my dad's passing. I moved her in with me and took up any and every job I could find, which weren't many. No one wanted to hire a college dropout, not the good jobs anyway. So there I was for five long years, hustling, doing what I had to unsure that my mother survived, that I survived. And we did, against all the odds._

_It wasn't until much, much later however, that I would understand the true meaning of survival. By the time I did, the world had already come to an end._

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"Evelyn?"

The sound of her name jolted her awake. Sensing a presence over her, her reflexes sprung into action. She bolted upright, yanked her switchblade from its place on her hip and thrust it against the intruder's neck, all in one single, swift move.

"Whoa, easy now, it's just me," a deep, familiar voice placated her, bringing her back to reality. Her hard gaze softened with recognition as she saw it was Rick in front of her. His hands were held up in surrender, wearily eyeing the weapon at his throat. "Easy now," he repeated, intently watching the blonde woman's tense stance and the disoriented look on her face. "Thought we established long ago that I'm a Friendly," he said.

Rolling her eyes, but inwardly sighing with relief, Evelyn lowered her arm, stashing her switchblade back in its place. "Thought you'd know better than to sneak up on people," she griped, looking around from her vantage point on the RV. It was nearly dark. She hadn't even realized when she'd drifted off. She sincerely doubted she could afford to do that again.

Rick took a seat next to her under the umbrella. "Wasn't sneaking, but sorry," he answered, handing her a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Looking down strangely at it for a moment, she suddenly realized how thirsty she was. "Thanks," she mumbled, accepting it.

"Bad dream?" Rick asked. The two had formed a closeness of some sort ever since they found each other in King County, plodding through the destruction together until he was reunited with his best friend and his family at the quarry. Evelyn had helped Rick a lot through those tough days, and for that he would always be thankful to her.

This wouldn't be the first time he would find her in the throes of a nightmare. However, this was the first time he was asking her about it. He knew from experience that bottling things inside didn't help matters, and back then, he always felt better whenever he poured his heart out to Shane. Rick figured that now that there was a familiarity of some sort between him and Evelyn, she would open up as well. Hopefully.

Rick's inquiring gaze caused Evelyn to shift uncomfortably in her seat, and she only gave a curt nod to his question. The gesture was terse and final, and it left Rick feeling slightly disappointed. He merely nodded back, looking away. Evelyn took a couple of sips of the juice, which tasted absolutely refreshing. She risked a glance at Rick as she did so, seeing the dull expression in his bright blue eyes as he stared out into the view. A bandage was wrapped around his elbow where Hershel had drawn blood from. He looked tired and his skin was pale, clashing with the red tint of Carl's blood, which still streaked his features. Other than that, he looked unblemished. Perfect, even.

Evelyn turned away before her thoughts could turn wayward. It wouldn't be the first time either. She hated the way she turned to mush whenever she looked at Rick Grimes, or even thought about him. She needed to get over that and quickly, especially since there was a wedding band on his ring finger. Unfortunately it was much easier said than done. It wasn't lost on Evelyn that Rick was the only one who didn't treat her differently after she revealed what she did for a living to the group back at the quarry…well, him, Dale and Glenn that is…she chalked the latter to be more fascinated than anything else. He'd probably never seen a stripper up close before in his young life. Rick didn't seem to care though, and she thought it was sweet and gentlemanly of him. Evelyn had always been a sucker for gentlemen. "What are you even doing all the way up here anyway?" She gave Rick back the juice and eyed him curiously. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

Rick sighed heavily. "Needed to get out for a little while, get some fresh air. Hershel consented," he said. "Lori's with Carl right now, so he's not alone."

Evelyn watched his face fall as he spoke, and her chest tightened again. "How is he?" she asked softly, frowning when he bowed his head and shook it slightly. Shit. That bad? "Shane and Otis aren't back?"

"No. Hershel says they should have been back by now. Something's wrong. I can feel it," He trailed off, dragging his fingers through his short hair. "I should have gone with them, helped get the supplies," he lamented.

"Like hell you should've," Evelyn retorted. "You wouldn't have made it very far. Heck, I'm surprised you could get up here. You're weak enough as it is. Shane said he would handle it, so let him handle it."

Another heavy sigh left his lungs. "I just…" Shaking his head, he threw up a hand in frustration. "I just feel like I should be doin' _more_, ya know?" He turned to her, a pleading expression on his face, as though asking her to understand why he was feeling the way he was. All she could see was the guilt shining in his blue eyes – the Walker attack on the camp, letting Sophia slip from his fingers, the bullet his son took. Evelyn didn't see how any of it was his fault. All of the blame he was heaping upon himself was unwarranted in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Evelyn conceded. "But you're just not up to it right now. You need rest and you need to be with Carl. There are other people helping. Daryl and Andrea are out looking for Sophia. Shane's handling the supplies for Hershel. You do your part and stay here with your son."

Rick gaped at her and then chuckled. "That's pretty much what Lori said a couple of minutes ago."

At the mention of his wife's name, Evelyn tried not to roll her eyes, instead forced a smile for Rick's sake. Lori had been shooting her dirty looks since she arrived at the quarry with Rick, while Evelyn was not impressed by Lori's constant fawning over her husband; as though it would magically wipe away her indiscretions with Shane. It was safe to say that the two women were not fond of each other. "Well, she's right," she answered, almost through gritted teeth.

A moment's silence passed before Rick sighed again. "I guess so," he responded. She didn't miss the wistful tone, the dulled texture of his eyes. "Don't worry, Rick. Carl will be fine. If he's anything like his father, then he's tougher than a two-dollar steak." The analogy had Rick laughing, and Evelyn grinned, glad to know she brought that out of him.

The sound of a car driving up alerted them. It was the blue Ford truck. Shane and Otis were back. Rick's eyes widened, his expression turning anxious. "Oh God." He quickly climbed down the RV, with Evelyn close behind. Hershel, Lori, Glenn and Maggie rushed out of the house, and Glenn retrieved the bags in Shane's grasp. Rick jogged up to his friend, relieved to see him in one piece. Evelyn took a good look at Shane. His eyes were wide and unfocused. His dark hair stuck out in different directions and there was a noticeable limp in his step. He looked very shaken up indeed.

More importantly, Otis was nowhere to be found.

Hershel looked around the truck and then back to Shane, voicing the question on everyone's minds. "Otis?"

Shane tensed up and he averted his eyes, and that was enough to realize what had become of the portly man. Sadness and grief flashed in Hershel's eyes before he composed himself. "We say nothing to Patricia," he announced somberly, "Not till after. I need her." And with that, he stalked back into the house, with Glenn following him.

Rick pulled Shane into a hug, with Lori, Maggie and Evelyn standing there. Then, Shane started talking. "Walkers at every turn," he rambled, his voice a shaky whisper. "We had nothin' left, we were down to ten rounds. He said he'd cover me, that I should keep going and that's what I did, I just…" He paused and swallowed hard, his mind reliving the horrible memory without his permission. "I kept going, then I looked back and he-" He stopped himself again, nearly breaking down this time. Maggie did. Lori put an arm around her, and Evelyn covered her mouth in sadness. Poor Otis.

Seeing how torn up Shane was, Rick put a hand on his shoulder. "He wanted to make it right," he said softly.

And paid for it with his life, Evelyn thought sadly. Another soul lost to this madness, too many to count now. She had to wonder if it was ever going to end.

Maggie managed to cease her crying to say to Shane, "You must be exhausted. Come in and take a shower. I'll get you some fresh clothes."

Shane looked up at her dazedly, clearly taken aback by the kind gesture. "Thanks," he managed, following her slowly into the house. That left Evelyn with Mr. and Mrs. Grimes.

For a couple of seconds the three stood there awkwardly, before Rick cleared his throat. "Lori and I will stay out here. Wait through the surgery," he told Evelyn. She nodded, adjusting the rifle strapped to her back, more out of a nervous habit than anything. "Okay. I'll be over at the RV," she jerked her thumb behind her for emphasis. "If you need me, just holler or something."

"And attract Walkers? Not very smart, is it," Lori muttered, shaking her head. Evelyn wanted to chalk her attitude to being stressed over the state of her son, but she knew better.

Rick shot an annoyed glance at his wife before looking back to the blonde woman, an apology in his eyes. Evelyn shook her head slightly, silently telling him not to worry about it. She held his gaze. "I'll be thinking about Carl."

Rick smiled. "Thank you, Ev."

It was a lonely walk back to the top of the RV. Against her mind's wishes, her body rotated to look back at the couple. They sat close together on the stairs of the front porch, heads together, fingers intertwined. Evelyn swallowed down the jealousy brewing within her and turned away.

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**_Please review! :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Thank you to mamareadstomuch2 and bluecrush611 for the reviews! Truly appreciated. Enjoy chapter 3!_**

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The surgery went well. Carl made it through the night. It was a huge relief among the group. Losing two children in such a short space of time would have been heartbreaking. A funeral was held for Otis outside the farmhouse the next morning, and everyone attended. A large pile of rocks was set there as a gravesite for him. Hershel oversaw the ceremony, and they all listened quietly. Shane shared Otis' final moments with the group at the request of Hershel and Patricia. Evelyn looked at Shane, still amazed that he'd just upped and shaved his head overnight. That was really strange and rather drastic in her opinion. She saw Dale also staring hard at Shane, and she figured he was puzzled by the new haircut as well.

Hershel and his family had been hospitable so far, which was remarkable considering the fact that they were complete strangers. The group tried to help the family around the farm. Hershel insisted on them putting their guns away while they were on his land, relenting when Rick requested that Dale and Evelyn carry rifles since they were regularly on lookout duty. It was a bummer, but they were guests, and they had to respect his wishes. Now that everyone was back together, the plan was to commence the search for Sophia in teams this time, but Hershel determined that both Rick and Shane were too weak and injured to go anywhere far, so it was agreed they would reconvene the following morning.

The day started off rather eventfully. T-Dog and Dale found an overweight Walker inside one of the farm's wells. It was an unsuccessful attempt to get it out, with Glenn having a close brush with death in the process and having to seal off the well after half of the Walker's massive body slid back in. It was Maggie's first time seeing a Walker get put down, and it left a very sour taste in her mouth. Literally. Evelyn felt bad for her. Even though she, like the rest of the group had become used to it, it didn't make it any less disgusting and off-putting.

Later in the day, Glenn intercepted her. "What's up, Lara Croft?" he greeted, and Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Will you ever stop calling me that?" she asked.

"Only when you stop looking like her blonde clone," he retorted. His gaze subconsciously flickered down to her chest, and he blushed profusely when he noticed she had caught him. She could only smile and shake her head. He'd been doing that ever since he first laid eyes on her. She didn't mind all that much because it didn't feel as perverted as it should have. He just couldn't help himself, and the way he blushed when he got caught was kind of cute.

"So…I've been delegated to go on a run…with Maggie," Glenn stated.

"Maggie, huh?" Evelyn liked Maggie. She'd spent some time with her and found her to be engaging and intelligent. Plus it was pretty cool, the way she took out that Walker when she came for Lori in the woods. And on a horse, too. Pretty badass. "She's a nice girl," Evelyn goaded.

"Yeah…" Glenn shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, and Evelyn's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He went red again. "I dunno…she's a bit…intimidating?"

Evelyn tried not to laugh. "She's not that bad. At least not to me. I think you should make the best out of this trip. Talk to her."

"She's making me ride a horse," he said, panicked, "I'm not good with horses."

Glenn was such a nerd. "Ooh, we can't have that now. She's a farmer's daughter, remember?" she teased. She looked up and saw Maggie arriving with two horses. "Oh look, here she comes. Good luck." She tapped his head lightly and walked off, hearing him swallow hard.

After she helped set up camp, Evelyn took a walk around the farm. She'd never really done much of the cooking or laundry for the group, and she wasn't about to start now, not when Head Chef Lori kept shooting her dirty looks every chance she got. Evelyn was glad to put some distance between herself and everyone else for now. The walk gave her some privacy, with only her dark thoughts to keep her company.

On her return, she came across Rick and Hershel talking. As the older man walked away, Rick didn't look happy. "Problem?" she questioned when she neared the group leader. She had to say, he looked particularly good in his Sheriff's uniform today.

_Stop it, Evelyn!_

An agitated Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hershel wants us gone once we find Sophia and Carl's fit to travel."

Evelyn raised her eyebrows. That news killed off any lustful thoughts she had. "Damn."

"Yeah." They stood together in silence for a few moments, with Evelyn checking on her two switchblades in their holsters. "He has to reconsider," she said after a while.

Rick looked at her. "What?"

"Letting us stay. Ask Hershel to reconsider his decision."

Rick looked skeptical. "I'm not sure I can do that. I think he's already done more than enough for us."

"You've seen what is out there, Rick. He hasn't. He's cut off from the reality of the situation. Make him understand that – that if he knew what we knew, seen what we've all seen…he wouldn't send us away. Ask him to think about Carl…you're both fathers, right? Play on that emotion." She paused to watch Rick, the concentration on his face as he absorbed her words. "We'll earn our keep, help around his farm like we're already doing. Whatever boundaries he sets, we'll take 'em. Heck Officer, you already know what to say. Put that charisma of yours to good use," she added, nudging him playfully.

Rick ducked his head to hide his smile. "You've put in a convincing argument already. You sure you shouldn't be the one to talk to 'em?"

"Nah, I don't think so. I've only had a sixty percent success rate when it comes to talking my way out of trouble."

"What happened with the other forty?" Rick smirked.

"You do not wanna know," Evelyn laughed. Together they walked back to camp. Rick went over to talk to Lori, who had a scowl on her face. Evelyn walked past them wordlessly, heading towards Dale and his Winnebago.

Lori's eyes followed the blonde woman. "Where are you two coming from?" she asked her husband.

Rick was confused. "Talking to Hershel. Why?"

"Nothing." Her eyes never left Evelyn.

* * *

The next morning, the team woke up early to begin the search. Daryl opted to go on his own. Andrea, T-Dog and Beth's overly eager boyfriend Jimmy took one route, while Rick, Shane and Evelyn took another. Evelyn wasn't crazy about Shane. Other than the issue with Lori, he was a bit unpredictable and hotheaded, plus the glances he often sent her were much less naïve than Glenn's. Evelyn knew she could handle him, but she hoped she wouldn't have to. With Rick coming along, she doubted he would be a problem.

The three trudged through the woods in awkward silence, keeping their rifles close, only stopping for Shane to hammer red flags onto trees as markers. In an attempt to break the tension, the two cops began an impromptu trip down memory lane, reminiscing about their sexual conquests in high school. Rick was right about it being the only way to get Shane to talk, as the cop launched happily into the topic. As the men laughed heartily, Evelyn rolled her eyes, walking further ahead of them. She really didn't want to hear any of it, especially Rick's.

"Then there was Sheila, that's the one you _lied_ to me about," Shane smirked.

"Hey, I never lied about Sheila," Rick defended himself, taking a quick glance at Evelyn. For some reason, he felt self-conscious talking about his love life, or lack thereof, in front of her. "I just…I just got mixed up about what the bases meant." He ambled onwards, blushing when Shane teased him and explained in no subtle detail what a 'home run' meant.

"Are you two done?" Evelyn finally turned around, raising an eyebrow at the overgrown children behind her, "Can we focus on the task at hand now?"

"Oh come on, Ev!" Shane called when she made to turn back around. "You tellin' me you don't have any juicy tales of your own?" he asked, and was met with petulant silence from the blonde woman. "Come on girl, don't leave us hangin'. We told you ours, you tell us yours. And considering your line of work, I bet you've got a closet full of 'em."

"Shane!" Rick chastised his friend, horrified by his comment. Evelyn was used to such comments, but they didn't bother her anymore. She was tired of letting them bother her. "Believe it or not, Shane, there's not much to tell. Most of the boys were scared of my dad," she said truthfully.

"Ah, Colonel Gerald Dunham, King County's favorite son," Shane said, remembering Rick had told him who Evelyn's father was. "We heard a lot about him at the Academy. Even after he moved to the city they still sang his praises. He did us proud in Vietnam."

Touched by those words, Evelyn nodded and looked away, fighting off the pain in her heart. She'd rather talk about her sex life after all. Clearing her throat, she spoke up. "Under the bleachers, the football field after school. Brian Parker, star quarterback." Her grey eyes briefly met Rick's, and there was an unreadable expression on his rugged features.

"Was he as clueless as my friend over here?" Shane asked bluntly, clamping a hand down on Rick's shoulder. Evelyn burst out laughing at the offended look on Rick's face, but quickly clamped her mouth shut when he glared at her. "Nope, he wasn't, then. But in retrospect, I've had better," she replied. When no response came from either man, she turned around and continued walking. Finally, they could concentrate now.

"Shouldn't be talkin' about this stuff," Shane broke through the silence, all previous humor gone from his tone. "That life is gone and everyone in it. Sheila, Maryann, Mrs. Kelly…Brian. It's like we're old folk, and all the people in our stories are dead."

"Well, we can't just forget 'em," said Rick.

"The hell we can't," Shane shook his head. "It's hard enough accepting what's happened without diggin' up the past. I'll tell you what it is, the nostalgia…it's like a drug, keeps you from seein' things the way they are, and that's a danger. You got people dependin' on you." As he glanced meaningfully at Rick, Evelyn knew the conversation had taken a sour turn.

"You think I don't know that?" Rick glared at his friend, who had abruptly stopped walking. "I don't know. What are we doing?" Shane asked. "Got every able body at your disposal out scouring these woods, looking for a little girl we all know is likely dead."

Evelyn spun around, her mouth hanging open. "Hope you said that to Carol's face," she challenged, advancing towards Shane.

Rick put his arm out in front of her before she could go any further. "You think we should abandon the search, then?" he demanded.

Shane returned Rick's stony gaze evenly. The resentment in his voice spoke volumes. "That's not my call, is it?" he said mockingly, walking away. "You spread us thinner and thinner. I'm trying to save lives here and you're out saving cats from trees!"

"Is that what you think Sophia is? A cat in a tree?" Rick said incredulously, while Evelyn could only stare at Shane as he practically declared the little girl to be a lost cause.

"How many times do we get called up to look for a missing child, man?" Shane went on, "You got seventy-two hours. Seventy-two hours and, after that, you're lookin' for a body. And that was _before_. I mean, you honestly think we're just gonna find Sophia alive?"

"Are you that sure we won't?" Rick retorted.

Shane laughed bitterly at that. "We being completely honest?"

"Oh, I'm countin' on you to be."

"Alive or not, man, Sophia, she only matters to the degree in which she don't drag the rest of us down," Shane said coldly.

Rick stared at him with disgust. Evelyn was actually livid. "Unbelievable," she muttered, pushing past the two men and resuming her walk, before she did something stupid, like shoot Shane in the face.

"Thought you wanted honesty," Shane taunted, and that was when he exploded. "If we just moved on, man, we'd be halfway to Fort Benning right now and Carl wouldn't have gotten shot!"

Evelyn didn't think Shane could go any lower. "Okay, now you're just being an asshole. Are you seriously blaming Rick for that? Did he put the gun in Otis' hands?" She understood Shane's grievances, she honestly did. But his cantankerous behavior and constantly shooting down Rick was not the way to make his point.

Shane ignored her, keeping his hard gaze on Rick. "And you said so yourself, but we're out here, we're riskin' lives! Your own son almost died! Man, Otis, he paid that bill. What the hell are we still doin' here-"

"I had her in my hands, Shane!" Rick shot back, walking up to the other man. "She looked right into my eyes and she trusted me. I failed her. If I hadn't, she wouldn't be out here. I think she's still alive and I'm _not_ gonna write her off."

He finally took a step back, watching Shane carefully. Shane merely scoffed and shook his head. The tension among the three could be cut with a knife. Evelyn wanted nothing more than to get out of these woods.

The silence was broken when a Walker stumbled into view. On seeing the fresh meat, the creature growled louder and hobbled towards them. "I got it," Evelyn mumbled before the men could spring into action. Withdrawing her switchblade, she marched right up to the Walker and drove the knife into its face, once, twice, three times, imagining it was Shane and Lori at the same time.

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**_How do you like it so far? How's Evelyn? I promise there's a whole lot more entertaining stuff to come. Please review! :D_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Sorry loves! My laptop crashed. It's better now. Finally have an update for you. I hope you read and enjoy.**_

_**Thank you so much to **__**bluecrush611**__**, mamareadstomuch2, **__**Tocato**__**, wabi-sabi1090, **__**TheInkMaster**__** and PrintDust for the feedback. Kindly keep 'em coming!**_

_**All I can say is that Lori fans are VERY passionate. Very. I just hope Andrea fans don't come after me after this chapter.**_

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The return to the farm was in stony silence, with the two cops barely acknowledging each other after their little tiff in the woods. The search for Sophia had once again remained futile, and Evelyn nearly smacked herself in the face when her mind suddenly began to entertain thoughts similar to Shane's about the little girl's fate. No. They had to find her. They just had to. If not for Carol, then at least to quell the increasing frustration that was drifting among the group due to her disappearance. As Shane stashed his and Rick's rifles for safekeeping, Evelyn gazed longingly at the big black bag, where her two Colt 1911s were being kept. It really wasn't a good idea for them to be unarmed, she thought. The last time there was a lack of arsenal, Amy, Jim and countless others ended up dead – another memory Evelyn could not get rid of, no matter what she tried. She was glad she was allowed to keep her own rifle for lookout duty.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rick stalking back to his tent. He had become withdrawn since the confrontation with Shane. Evelyn supposed she'd feel the same way too, if her best friend practically accused her of being incompetent. She didn't think it was fair. Rick was clearly being weighed down by the guilt over Sophia, by the pressure of becoming the group's leader, and to have his best friend also on his back had to make him a little fragile.

T-Dog nodded at her as she walked past him towards the RV, and she returned Dale's smile when he handed her a bottle of water. It was nice to know she had at least won over some people. She liked Dale in particular. He was a gentler version of her father, and he'd shown no prejudice whatsoever towards her in all the time she'd been with the group. It wasn't lost on Evelyn that not everyone had warmed up to her yet. Despite meeting the group at the same time, Rick got along with everyone like a house on fire, even assuming leadership from Shane. It was still a bit of a struggle for Evelyn, especially with the women. She kind of understood. It was easy to stereotype her at first glance. She looked like she belonged in the pages of Playboy magazine; a blonde, grey-eyed bimbo with the killer legs and big bosoms to match – 'them Porno Barbie types', as Merle had so graciously commented the first time he saw her; As a result, she was excepted to be a fish out of water, completely incapable of coping in this type of environment. But as time passed, she showed them otherwise. Evelyn had to. She was no Daryl, or even Shane or Rick, but she'd proven to be the most competent with guns out of all the women, and was handy in taking down Walkers. Evelyn had all those camping trips with her father and the self-defense classes to thank. It was like being in high school again – trying to fit in, trying to be accepted. But the superficial notion of the old world had since given way to a necessity, the simple matter of survival. Because there was no way anyone could make it in this new world alone.

"Walker! Walker!" Andrea suddenly shouted from the top of the RV.

Evelyn whirled away from her conversation with Dale and climbed up to join her, one hand gripping her rifle protectively while the other shielded her eyes from the harsh sun.

"Just the one?" Rick was asking as Evelyn took the binoculars from Andrea. She couldn't see it clearly, but it did look like a walker was coming out of the woods, right towards their camp. "I can't really tell. It looks like it," she reported.

"Are you blind? It is a walker. I bet I can nail it from here," Andrea bragged, snatching Dale's rifle.

"No! No, Andrea, put the gun down!" Rick ordered, but Shane was already rushing out with his pickax, Glenn with a machete and T-Dog his baseball bat, all of them marching off into the field. Cursing under his breath, Rick grabbed his Python and hurried after them. Evelyn watched them go, holding up the binoculars to her face. She honestly couldn't see too well; the sunlight was inhibiting her vision. She turned at the sound of Dale's rifle being cocked. "Andrea, put the gun down, Rick said-"

"I don't care what Rick said, I'm trying to protect the group," Andrea snapped, "I don't take orders from him and I sure as hell don't take orders from someone like you." With that, she turned back and aimed the rifle.

Evelyn tilted her head and scowled at the other blonde woman. Someone like her? Really?!

"Andrea, don't!" Dale warned.

"Back off, Dale!"

Evelyn looked out again. The sunlight had dimmed, and she could make out the figure more clearly now.

_Oh shit!_

Before she could speak, the gunshot rang out, and Evelyn watched in horror as Daryl dropped to the ground. It was when she saw Rick screaming at them that her fears were confirmed.

"Andrea you dumbass! That was Daryl!" She barely heard the other blonde woman's shocked gasp before she jumped down the RV and took off running down the field. When she got there, Rick and Shane were helping Daryl to his feet. She'd never seen anyone look as filthy as Daryl did right then. He was covered in dirt from head to toe and blood soaked his left side. This was positively grimy, even by his standards. What the hell happened to him out there?

"Oh, my God!" Andrea cried, running up behind Evelyn, "Oh my God! Is he dead?"

"Unconscious, you just grazed him," Rick said, but Evelyn could tell he was pissed at Andrea. So was she. Andrea could be quite the moron sometimes.

"Well, look at him! What the hell happened? He's wearing _ears_," Glenn pointed, and Evelyn's eyes widened. Sure enough, four decaying Walker ears adorned the hunter's neck. As the others from camp came rushing out of the farmhouse, Rick quickly ripped it off and shoved it into his shirt. "Let's keep that to ourselves," he stated brusquely.

"Guys!" T-Dog called their attention. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

Everyone turned around and saw him holding up a doll. And not just any doll; it was Sophia's, the one that Morales' daughter had given her before they separated from the group. As she stared at the ragged toy, Evelyn was filled with something she had not felt in a long time.

Hope.

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In the evening, Lori, Carol and Patricia made a big dinner in Hershel's kitchen, as a gesture of thanks to the veterinarian and his family for saving Carl's life and taking them in. There were two tables set up in the dining room; the main table, and what T-Dog had called the kids' table, much to Glenn's displeasure, as he sat with Maggie, Beth and Jimmy. Carl and Daryl were still recuperating, so both were still in bed. Carol went into Daryl's room with a plate of food for him, the woman much perkier since seeing her daughter's doll earlier in the day. The group ate dinner in silence, the only sound coming from the clinking of cutlery with plates. Evelyn sat between Dale and T-Dog and across from Shane, who was staring at Lori, and she frowned as she recalled what he'd said in the woods. Refusing to dwell on him, she turned her sights to the other table, where she could see Glenn and Maggie passing notes under the table, like middle school kids. It was cute, and very brave by Glenn to do it with Hershel in close proximity. Returning her attention to her own table, she looked at Rick, and watched him pour some water into Lori's glass. Again, that familiar feeling in her stomach surfaced.

"Does anyone know how to play guitar?" Glenn's voice cut through the quiet, turning towards the main table with a smile. "Dale found a cool one."

Hershel had an uncomfortable look about him. Patricia stared into space as she answered the Asian man's question. "Otis did."

"Yes, and he was very good, too," Hershel told her. Evelyn looked over at Glenn and made a subtle slashing gesture across her throat with her hand, indicating that he should kill off that topic. He didn't need telling twice to heed her advice.

"So Evelyn," It was Jimmy's turn to attempt to make conversation, all the way from his seat at the kids' table. "Just out of curiosity: what did you do for a living, before the world ended?"

It was a perfectly innocent question from Jimmy; Evelyn knew that. She doubted the kid had a vindictive bone in his body. But the dining room became more silent than ever, if that was even possible, with the Atlanta group members all at bated breath. It was now well known that Hershel was a religious man, and Evelyn knew that he would not be pleased with her answer. She decided to play the safer card. "Um…well, I taught self-defense classes, back in Atlanta," she answered with a shaky smile. It was one-half of the truth. "I got a brown belt in Jujitsu, and I-"

"Now now, Evelyn, that's not all you did," Andrea said all of a sudden.

Evelyn sat there, frozen in disbelief that Andrea had just done that. Shane ducked his head, as did Lori. The rest of the group just looked shocked.

Andrea took a bite of her food. "You can say it. Don't be shy," she goaded. Glenn, Shane and T-Dog all pretended to be engrossed with their dinner, while Rick glared at Andrea. Maggie and Beth had turned around, waiting for Evelyn's response, as were Hershel and Patricia .Evelyn was in the hot seat, with no choice but to answer. She swallowed and cleared her throat before she responded. "I was also, um…a dancer. An exotic dancer."

More silence again. "What, you mean like a stripper?" Jimmy opened his mouth again, fascinated, and Maggie smacked his arm. Evelyn's face burned with embarrassment, and she lowered her head, feeling the heat of Hershel's gaze on her. They'd all get kicked off the farm now because of her, surely.

"Really?" the old man inquired, his tone noticeably colder.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Evelyn asked, a challenging edge in her own voice. She was determined to keep her head held high.

"No, not at all." Hershel shook his head. Evelyn didn't believe him. He considered not saying anymore, but decided against it. "It's just…I just can't see how any woman would choose to degrade herself like that," he said in a low voice.

At that, any shame Evelyn felt evaporated, replaced with dark anger. "Choose, huh?" she repeated, nearly laughing in the vet's face for his ignorance.

"Evelyn…" Dale placed his hand gently over hers, but Evelyn pulled away from him. she was boiling inside, the anger bubbling so fervently that she was sure she would explode. She smiled at Lori, Carol and Patricia. "Thank you for dinner." With that, she stood up from the table and walked out.

She was barely out of the house when she hard Dale calling after her. "Evelyn, wait!"

Ignoring him, she kept walking, but he grabbed her arm. "Evelyn, please-"

That minimal contact was enough to make her snap. She turned around so abruptly that the old man nearly collided into her. "_What_? What do you want, Dale?"

"Look, about what happened back there," Dale began, but Evelyn only wanted to throttle him. "Are you serious? What, you wanna apologize for her, Dale? Why do you always defend her? Huh? All she's done is be rude to you and treat you like shit since we left CDC." Stopping abruptly, she took a deep breath to calm herself. It didn't work. "Look, I understand she's probably still grieving over Amy or something. We're all on edge, but I don't have to put up with this! I 'chose' to degrade myself? Is that really what y'all think?" Evelyn never wanted this out in the open, but the anger, the pain and anguish she'd been bottling for weeks finally came pouring out. She was done holding her tongue and putting up with this shit. "You think my father 'chose' to have leukemia? That I 'chose' to drop out of College because the treatment sucked my family bone dry and I couldn't afford to go anymore?"

Her grey eyes blazed into Dale's shocked ones, her arms gesticulating wildly, "Or, or I 'chose' to turn down all the decent jobs, which, by the way, never came my way because everyone wanted a College degree and I happened not to have one?" she asked, sounding angrier with each sentence, "Or I 'chose' to start dancing because it was the only way I could take care of my ailing, heartbroken mother?" Her smile was cynical, bitter. "Yeah, that was definitely my choice, all of it."

She ended her tirade abruptly, breathing hard. She saw Dale's eyes shift back towards the house, and that was when she realized they had an audience. Everyone stood outside, having heard every word she said. Instead of backing down, she angrily met each and everyone's gaze until they felt as embarrassed as she was. And it turned out that one could meet her eyes, no one except for Rick and Hershel, and even then, Evelyn didn't want their pity.

Emotionally drained, she walked away wordlessly from Dale and retreated to her tent, climbing in and zipping it shut, keeping the rest of the cruel world at bay.

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_**A/N: This was the best angst-filled way I could think of delving more into Evelyn's past. Don't worry, I'll elaborate on it in upcoming chapters. Will Evelyn get over this "Me-Against-The-World" phase? Time will tell. Thank you for reading, please review and please be nice! :) Constructive criticism is also very much appreciated. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Big, big thanks to bluecrush611 and Bee for the reviews. Love the fact that Rick has shippers on this site. I love Daryl, but he shouldn't be the only one allowed to have all the lovin', haha! Enjoy 5!_**

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Evelyn couldn't remember the last time she had a good night's sleep. Even at the CDC, where they thought was safe, she'd had trouble sleeping. It was the same thing every night: jerking awake in a cold sweat, gasping for air, the occasional terrified scream as the vivid images assaulted her, even in consciousness. Afterwards she would lie awake till morning, eyes wide, afraid to fall back asleep. It happened again and again, like clockwork, and today was no different. It was starting to weigh her down physically and mentally, but Evelyn always found strength from somewhere to push herself through the day.

'_You are strong, Evy Bear, and you are smart, and you are going to make it out of this. I know you will. Your father and I didn't raise you any other way…'_

She found Lori at the chicken coop with Carl, who was feeding the chickens. A big smile spread across the blonde woman's face at the sight of the little boy walking around and smiling, like nothing had happened to him. On sighting Evelyn, he gave her a wave. "Morning, Evelyn," he greeted.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you out and about, buddy," she grinned, taking off the Sheriff's hat on his head and ruffling his hair before giving a polite nod to Lori. She looked tired, and understandably so. Her son's ordeal had to have put her through hell. Evelyn decided to cut her some slack and try to be more civil to her. There was a softer tone to Lori's gaze which was directed at Evelyn. Oh, yesterday. The blonde woman pretended not to see it, patting Carl's shoulder and walking off.

For the rest of the morning Evelyn kept to herself, cleaning her switchblades, tidying up her tent and observing her surroundings. Carol was cooking over a campfire. Glenn and Maggie were acting strange and kept whispering to each other, and when they weren't in close proximity, they kept giving each other strange looks. And when it wasn't Maggie he was doing that with, it was Lori. Evelyn did not want to know what was going on there. Daryl was back in his tent recovering, while Dale and T-Dog were working on the RV. Earlier, Evelyn had seen Patricia heading towards the barn with a wheelbarrow in tow. Perhaps there were other animals there. Rick, Shane and Jimmy were standing by one of the trucks, looking over a map. Evelyn watched him discuss with the others. His hair was starting to grow out, as was his beard. His button-up shirt was rolled at the sleeves and showed off his toned arms. And those pants…he looked better now, much better than when she'd first found him; not that he didn't look good _then_-

She forced her eyes away. _Evelyn, stop. He's married with a kid. It's not gonna happen. Stop torturing yourself like this_.

"Hey, Evelyn! We need ya over here!" Shane's gruff voice physically startled her out of her reverie, but she managed to make a decent recovery. "For what?" she shouted back, hoping she hadn't been caught staring.

"It's gun practice soon. You said you'd help out, remember?" the cop replied.

Oh. Yeah. Dusting off her shorts and securing her gun belt, she walked over to the truck, and noticed the eyes of all three men quickly sweep over her body as she approached. Jimmy had the decency to look sheepish for his blatancy, but Evelyn ignored them all.

Rick noted how she had kept away from everybody up until this moment. He wanted to ask how she was doing after last night but had a feeling he wouldn't get an answer out of her. He hardly did. Evelyn only talked when she was good and ready, and he could count those moments on one hand. He wasn't holding his breath this time either.

For about twenty minutes the four went over the map, determining where Sophia could have gone. Jimmy informed them that there was a housing development a distance away from the farm, and Shane was to check it out after gun practice, but only with backup. After what happened to Daryl, it would be too dangerous to go alone.

"I'll take suggestions on a partner," Shane said, glancing meaningfully at Evelyn. Her brow furrowed and she shook her head quickly in response. "Hey, don't look at me," she warned. The last thing she ever wanted to be was alone with Shane. She found him to be weird, and not in a good way. Rick on the other hand…

"See how they do on the range and take your pick," Rick stated, and that was quickly settled, thank God.

Glenn was walking around with a basket full of peaches offering them to everyone. He stopped by Rick and the others with the fruit, and even after they'd taken theirs, they noticed he was still standing there, staring weirdly at them until Shane prompted him to hand over the binoculars. _What is up with him today?_ Evelyn wondered, her thoughts interrupted when she spotted Carl by the RV. "What's up little man? Why the glum face?"

Carl stood there for a moment, debating on whether to confide in her or not. Looking around to make sure no one could hear him, he said, "I want to learn to shoot too. Could you teach me?" At the uncertain look on Evelyn's face, he quickly added, "If you don't want to, it's okay. I can talk to Shane."

"It's not that I don't want to," said Evelyn, leaning beside him, "I just don't think your parents will be too thrilled with the idea."

"Can you talk to them? I know Dad listens to you," he almost pleaded.

Evelyn had to hold back a smile at the boy's words. _Does he now?_ "I'll see what I can do, no promises," she conceded. She could tell Carl was feeling left out and just wanted to be of use to the group like his dad was. "Though I think you should have gone to Shane first. He'll have much better luck convincing your folks than I will."

Shane watched Evelyn and Carl, and saw how the boy kept fidgeting with his waistband. "Hey, Carl," he called, "Let's see what you got there."

Evelyn saw the frightened look on the little boy's face, and was about to reprimand Shane for being harsh when Carl lifted his shirt and revealed the pistol hidden in his waistband. _Oh hell_. Shane was forced to tell Rick and Lori, and Lori had a fit. It turned out Carl had lied to Dale and snuck the gun out of the RV. After a heated discussion between his parents, Carl told them he only wanted to help protect the camp and look for Sophia, and promised his mother that he wouldn't let her down. Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief on Carl's behalf when Lori finally agreed. She understood Lori's worries but in this new world, everyone had to protect themselves, even little kids. Things were different now. On the bright side, at least the kid wasn't in trouble with his mom.

* * *

The vast outdoors gave them a wide array of options for where to set up the gun range for shooting practice. Andrea, Lori, Carl and Carol came along, as well as Beth, Jimmy and Patricia, with Hershel's consent of course. Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Evelyn were the instructors, with Evelyn taking charge of Hershel's ladies. They all took turns shooting down the bottles and cans lined up on the fence. Patricia didn't do very badly – Otis must have given her a lesson or two. Beth needed work, but it was nothing disastrous. Shane seemed to be paying extra-special attention to Andrea, and she was enjoying it, to which Evelyn rolled her eyes. She looked over at Lori hovering behind Carl as he practiced. She was the only one not making any attempt at shooting at all. "Hey Lori! Wanna give it a shot?" Evelyn asked, jerking her head towards the range. This was a start, right? Civil, yes?

Lori politely waved away the offer. "Don't worry about me, thanks."

"You sure? They're not all bad, you know, the guns. Once you learn how to handle one-"

Lori gave her a strange look. "I'm a Sheriff's Deputy's wife, I have an idea how to handle one."

Though Evelyn had never seen her with a gun, she guessed she had a point. "It's just practice. I'm not asking you to shoot anyone. You just never know when you might be on your own or caught in a really dangerous situation, that's all." Evelyn held out the gun to her. "Give it a try. Just one try."

"Yeah mom, you need to protect me from getting shot again," Carl chimed in, and that was enough for Lori's stance to wane. She accepted Evelyn's gun and positioned it carefully in her hands. Everyone else stopped what they were doing to watch. Evelyn stood next to Lori and pointed at the green can standing on the fence a couple of feet away. "Feet apart, deep breath, focus, take the shot," she instructed.

Lori breathed evenly, her shoulders heaving gently with each one she took. Bracing herself, she fired the gun and hit the first can cleanly, to a round of cheers from the others. Buoyed by their support, she tried again successfully, and then tried another, and eventually managed to hit four out of the five targets.

Evelyn nodded approvingly as she retrieved her gun from Lori. "Not bad, Mrs. Sheriff."

"Thanks." Lori grinned sheepishly at the applause she received. Carl hugged her and Rick put a proud arm around his wife. Deciding she had used up all her Civil quota for the day, Evelyn returned her focus to teaching Patricia and Beth.

"Been tryna get Lor to shoot for years. Nothing worked," Rick stated, coming to stand next to Evelyn. "You performed a small miracle just now."

With a shrug, she replied, "I've got my charms."

"I guess so." Rick nodded in the direction of her two wards. "How's it going?"

"Good, actually. Patricia's not bad. Beth is a little slower than the others, but with more practice, she'll be okay. I'm thinking of asking Hershel if I can give her private lessons. Speaking of, did you eventually ask him about reconsidering his decision?"

Rick's relaxed features hardened into a frown, and Evelyn immediately knew something was up. "He spoke to me this mornin'," he said. "He's pissed that Daryl took one of his horses without asking, and Jimmy lied about Hershel lettin' him come along with us yesterday," Rick finished with a sigh.

"So he hasn't changed his mind." Evelyn let out a sigh of her own. "Told anyone yet?"

His gaze returned to the gun range. "Just Lori."

"Good. The fewer people, the less the panic," Evelyn assessed. "We can't leave the farm, Rick. We've got food and shelter and medical care here. T-Dog and Carl are still recovering. And what about Sophia? Are we just gonna leave her?"

"It's not set in stone, Ev. I'm still talking to Hershel. Things are uneasy right now, but I'm working on it." He looked at the blonde woman for several moments, watching her watch Hershel's ladies. "You scared?" He knew Lori was. She had all but told him so.

A beat passed before Evelyn shook her head. "Strangely, no. I know you'll make Hershel see sense. Just…the sooner, the better." She averted her gaze. "Would've told you I could help, try to plead our case, but I don't think I'm Hershel's favorite person."

Rick turned to her, more alert now, and Evelyn knew he wanted her to elaborate on her feelings about what happened at dinner last night. When she shook her head, Rick tilted his own. "You don't like to talk much about _you_," he observed. "Yet you exploded on poor ol' Dale last night. You see, that's what happens when you keep things bottled up inside."

Evelyn just shrugged and looked away. "Andrea was out of line," Rick insisted, "So was Hershel. We all know that. They have no right to judge anyone, 'specially people they barely know."

"Why do you care?" Evelyn retorted defensively.

Rick detected her discomfort, but felt the need to make his point. "Back in the Department," he went on, "Shane and I...we dealt with people who raped and killed because they could, robbed banks and stores because they were bored; girls who sold their bodies simply because they wanted Daddy's attention. _You_ were doing what you had to do to survive. For your family. Most of us understand that, better than you think, and it is nothing to be ashamed of," he assured her in that tone that never failed to win people over. "Besides, it's a new world now, a new life. None of that matters anymore. You're here with us now, and you've earned your place here. Never forget that."

_Oh, Rick._ How could he say stuff like that and expect her not to find him irresistible? "You should have been a politician, my friend," Evelyn told him. "You'd definitely have my vote in the Georgia Governor elections. If we ever have one ever again, that is."

"Thanks, appreciate it," He winked at her, and though she handled it calmly, her insides were squealing with joy, like a teenage girl receiving the attention of the hot boy at school. By the time they returned to camp, Evelyn was in a much better mood. She was yet to apologize to Dale for her outburst. She would clean up after gun training and then go straight to him.

She was doing just that when she saw Rick heading her way, and she was taken aback by the look of absolute fury on his scruffy face. "Everything alright, Rick?"

"Have you seen Lori?" His voice was low and brusque, harboring barely-controlled anger. His fists were clinched, and the blonde saw he was holding something in one of them.

"I saw her head out to the fields," she began, pointing in the direction. She could almost feel the heat emanating from him. This was a complete 180 from his attitude at the gun range. She started to ask what was wrong, but he brushed past her angrily without a word, striding briskly across the farmland in search of his wife. Evelyn thought about following him, in case he ran into trouble, and quickly shot down the idea, realizing she was only looking for an excuse to be close to him again.

Man, this was hard.

* * *

**_A/N: Sorry if it doesn't seem like much is happening right now, the Walkers weren't that prominent in season 2 if you remember. I'm focusing a bit on Evelyn's interaction with the rest of the group, particularly Rick. But things will start to get messy soon for her, if it isn't already, with her lusting after a married man, lol. But bear with me, the fun part is coming soon. Thanks for sticking with me. I appreciate it, and I'll appreciate it more if you left a review. Thanks in advance! _**

**_A/A/N: The mid-season finale! :O Wow! February is much too far away!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Big big thanks to bluecrush611, Tocato, wabi-sabi1090, Annabel and mamareadstomuch2 for the great reviews! And thanks to all the favoriters and followers, I truly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this chapter._**

* * *

_I remember vividly where I was when I got the news that Dad was diagnosed with cancer. Leukemia, stage four. I left College to be with Mom and ended up never setting foot in the school again. The treatment drained us physically, emotionally and financially, and it all proved futile when Dad succumbed. Even worse, he was up to his neck in debt when he passed, and by the time the hospital, the banks and his creditors were done scavenging through what was left of his finances, Military Retiree Benefits and all, my mother and I were penniless. Left with no option, I dropped out of College to look after my mother. She was never the same after Daddy's death; she grew even quieter than she already was by nature, and when she did talk, it was mainly to herself. She became forgetful, failing to remember even the most trivial things about herself. I heard her cry every night. I was just as broken as she was, but I had to fix myself up and be strong for her, strong for us both. I didn't know if I had it in me, but I would try._

_Finding a job was tough. Without a college degree, my choices were spread very thinly. I waitressed at a Fifties-themed diner and was there for about three months before the diner went up in flames one night, making me have to start all over again. Honestly, I was all but ready to give it up at that point, but forced myself to remember my ailing mother. Luckily, Dad had left us his childhood home in King County, and after a month or so of living with me in the city, I moved Mom back there, promising to visit her every weekend. My parents' marriage had left them both estranged from their families, and that didn't change after Dad died. I was all my mother had left. She needed me, and I was going to be there for her every step of the way._

_I saw an ad for an 'amateur night' contest one evening as I passed Skins Gentleman's Club in downtown Atlanta. I bought a pair of six-inch heels, lacy lingerie, did some practicing and went back two nights later. I nearly shit my pants as I waited backstage for my turn. Not only was I going to expose my body to complete strangers, there was a big chance I was going to topple over in my sky-high heels. Turns out I was a natural, and ended up winning five hundred dollars on the spot. The club's owner, Tiffany, made me an offer I was in no position to refuse. I had to accept that exotic dancing was my only way out of the mess I was in._

_Skins girls were fairly well-taken care of by Tiffany and her people. Not all of my co-workers fell under the typical stripper stereotype – drug-addled, slutty single moms and whatnot. I met fashion models, PhD students, real estate agents, all in it for various reasons. We were allowed to select our customers, which I always did very, very carefully. The pay was impressive – I could take home up to a grand every night. On the downside, I had to deal with overly demanding, perverted patrons, and the neighborhood wasn't the safest. Every couple of weeks there was reports of some of the girls getting attacked on their way home and even being harassed at work. The night I escaped being raped – by beating my attacker into submission – influenced my decision to start teaching self-defense to my co-workers, and later on, outsiders. It was steady money; nowhere near what I was making at Skins, but at least I had a day job. That was what the healthier, happier dancers had, I learned: a day job, a savings plan and an exit strategy. Women my age would probably be more concerned with quitting and settling down with a man and having kids, but not me. Relationships were a distraction to me. My mom was and would always be my top priority. And once I made enough money, I would sell Dad's house, take her out of King County, head somewhere nice, maybe Miami, and live happily ever after with her._

_Knowing that I will never get to do any of that will always break my heart._

* * *

"Need help?"

Carol looked up at Evelyn as she walked over to the campfire. "Oh no, I'm okay for now," she smiled. "Actually, it's kind of strange seeing you here. You and Andrea always seem to prefer the more heavy duty stuff."

Evelyn laughed and passed two plates Carol had pointed at. "Yeah, you could say that. But I can be versatile. I'll try to help you more from now on."

"It's okay. Lori and I got it covered. Let me not take you away from your fun on the frontlines."

"I wouldn't exactly call it fun," Evelyn shrugged.

"Yeah, you're right. Wrong choice of words," Carol conceded, "You do seem to enjoy your role within the group, that's good."

Evelyn raised a curious eyebrow as Carol handed her a bottle of water. "I wasn't aware I had a specific role."

"We all have roles, hun. Rick's the leader, Shane's his wingman, and Daryl is our Secretary of Defense. Dale's like Rick's chief adviser, and I'm Martha Stewart," she added, to laughter from Evelyn. "Lori is Rick's wife, so that sort of makes her our unofficial First Lady, and you're like Condoleezza Rice; always by Rick's side, helping him make decisions."

The blonde woman searched for any spite in the woman's tone and was relieved to find nothing. "You've thought this out, haven't you?" she teased.

Carol just shrugged and stirred the contents of the pot on the fire. "Have a lot of time on my hands these days."

"Well, I just try to help out the group however I can," Evelyn reiterated, glad that at least the other woman wasn't thinking she was making any inappropriate moves on their leader. Taking a seat in front of the campfire, she watched Carol concentrate on her cooking. "How are you doing, Carol? Really." Evelyn always made sure to check on the short-haired woman, doing whatever she could for her. Talking to her was easy; the two women seemed to understand each other right off, with both having spent so many years smiling through the pain.

Carol looked at Evelyn, sadness flitting through her eyes for a second before she sighed. "Better than expected. Just doing things to keep my mind occupied. That's all I've really got going for me now." She went quiet again, and Evelyn became more determined than ever to find Sophia for Carol. The mother and daughter had only just broken free from the shackles of abuse, and for them to be separated like this was saddening. Evelyn didn't care if she had to go alone; after lunch, she was going back into the woods to do a search of her own.

"That's a pretty necklace." Carol's voice broke through her thoughts. "I never got to tell you. I keep looking at it, it's so pretty."

Evelyn glanced down at the tiny, silver winged woman resting against her chest. "Thanks," she stated, her tone wistful and pained as she gently caressed the pendant. She remembered it like it was yesterday, could still feel her mother's bloody hand slipping the pendant into her own while she helplessly watched the light in her eyes dim. Evelyn shook the memories off and went back to helping Carol prepare lunch.

About half an hour later, everyone was sat around the campfire. Glenn kept looking back and forth between the farmhouse and Dale. Shane stood away from the group as he ate. Andrea sharpened a knife, occasionally taking her eyes away to glance at Shane. That all but confirmed Evelyn's suspicions. Years spent working at a strip club had sharpened her sense of smell. Whether it was in a room, whether it was a lecherous customer who had received much more than he had paid for, or a co-worker that had broken the cardinal rule, Evelyn could easily identify the smell of sex. It was very distinct, like weed, and Shane and Andrea had returned from their search for Sophia reeking of it. So the cop had sunk his claws into the other blonde woman. Well, if Lori wasn't giving it to him anymore, he had to get it from somewhere else, Evelyn figured. And speaking of…she looked across the fire, where Rick sat quietly, staring pensively at the open fire. Beside him, Lori whispered something to him, and he smiled slightly when she kissed his temple. All was well between them, then. Evelyn tried to focus on the food on her plate.

Glenn slowly stood up and faced the group. "Um, guys?" he started nervously. At first no one paid attention, until he uttered the next set of words…

"So...the barn's full of walkers."

Evelyn's head shot up towards Glenn in shock. _Surely_ she hadn't heard him right. But the look on his face and the disbelieving expression on all the others' told her she'd heard him just fine. Everyone immediately stopped eating and rushed over to the barn. Shane was first there, and he tentatively walked forwards and took a peek through the crack in the wooden door. Loud growling could be heard from inside, confirming Glenn's statement. Evelyn was stunned.

Shane trudged back towards the group. "You _cannot _tell me you're alright with this," he growled at Rick.

"No, I'm _not_, but we're guests here," Rick reminded him. "This isn't our land!"

"This is our lives, man!" Shane argued.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug!" Andrea said.

"Lower your voices!" Glenn said nervously.

T-Dog shook his head. "It ain't right. Not remotely."

Shane paced back and forth, coming to a stop in front of Rick. "Now, we either gotta go in there, we gotta make things right, or we just gotta go. Now we've been talkin' about Fort Benning for a long time-"

"We _can't _go!" Rick's voice was fierce.

"Why, Rick, why?" demanded Shane.

"'Cause my daughter's still out there," Carol told him matter-of-factly. Evelyn looked uncertainly at her. She had a valid point, she always would when it came to Sophia, but this was a whole new ball game. The danger was right next door now.

Shane put his hands to his face, sighing deeply as he considered his next words carefully. "I think it's time that we all start to just…consider the other possibilities-" he started, but Rick cut him off.

"We are not leaving Sophia behind!"

"I'm close to finding this girl, I just found her damn doll a few days ago!" Daryl rasped, and Shane rolled his eyes. "You found a _doll_, Daryl," he said in a condescending tone. "That's what you did. You found a _doll_!"

Was it her, or had Shane become quite antagonistic towards everyone? Evelyn thought, just as Daryl lashed out at Shane. "You don't know what the _hell _you're talking about!"

"Hey, look, I'm just saying what needs to be said here! You get a good lead, it's in the first forty-eight hours-" Shane started to rant as Rick tried to calm him down, "And let me tell you somethin' else, man!" he went on, redirecting his words to Daryl now. "If she was alive out there, saw you comin', all methed out with your buck knife, geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction, man!" Shane sneered. Whoa.

Evelyn expected retaliation from Daryl and got it, with the hunter charging towards Shane. The next few seconds were mayhem, with the two shouting threats and clawing over Rick to get at each other while the rest of the group tried to pull them apart.

"Just stop!" Rick was shouting, pushing the two men apart. "Stop! Back off!" He shoved Shane away. "_Back off_!"

"Calm the fuck down!" Evelyn planted her hand on Daryl's chest to stop him from going after Shane again. Carol stood off to the side, tears in her eyes. When things died down, Rick spoke again, pleading with Shane. "Now just let me just talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out-"

"What are you gonna figure out?" Shane roared, and Lori had to hold him back.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I _have_ to _talk_ him into it. This is _his _land!"

"Hershel sees those things in there as people." Dale spoke now, going up to Rick. "_Sick _people. His _wife_, his stepson-"

"You knew?" Rick exclaimed, asking the question that had popped into all their heads.

"And you waited the night?" Shane rounded angrily on Dale. Evelyn took a protective step closer to the older man. Shane was not going to lay a finger on him.

"I thought we could survive one more night! We did!" Dale snapped, leveling Shane with a glare. "I was waiting till this morning to say somethin' but Glenn wanted to be the one."

Shane merely scoffed and shook his head. Evelyn suddenly realized the undercurrent of intense dislike between the two men. What was up with that?

"The man is crazy, Rick!" Shane ranted, "If Hershel thinks those things are alive-" His tirade was interrupted when the barn doors suddenly began to rattle and creak against the pressure of the Walkers pushing at them. This was a serious matter. A very serious one.

Reluctantly, everyone walked away from the barn and back to camp, with the exception of Shane, who continued to pace back and forth in front of the door like a caged animal. That was the only way Evelyn could describe it: a caged animal desperate to be let out from its confines. He'd been this way ever since they got to the farm – biting everyone's head off, criticizing every move Rick made, behaving erratically. What was going on with him? It was a question she knew majority of the group was starting to ask themselves.

* * *

**_A/N: Thoughts? I know there wasn't much Evelyn/Rick interaction in this, but expect more in the next chapter. What did you think about Evelyn's continued back story, and Carol's comments in the beginning? Kindly review my loves, they're very much appreciated! Mwah!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Once again, a HUGE thank you to mamareadstomuch2, bluecrush611, Tocato and dropxdeadxjuliet for the lovely reviews! Thanks for the new follows and favorites, and thanks to those that weren't so sure at first but decided to give my story a chance. I really appreciate it. I'm having a lot of fun writing and hope you're enjoying it too. Keep spreading the word on Elastic Heart, guys! Here's 7!**_

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Over twenty minutes had passed since the group dispersed from the barn. Shane had announced he was staying behind to keep watch, but he just looked like he was stalking the building; glaring at it, pacing up and down in front of it, checking the locks and barricades obsessively. It was weird, but judging from his behavior as of late, not surprising.

Rick and Evelyn watched him from their spot by the blue truck. "What am I gonna do about him?" Rick sighed wearily.

Placing her Colts on the hood of the truck, Evelyn shook her head. "He is the least of our problems right now." At his questioning look, she elaborated, "The rules have just changed, Rick. Hershel's keeping Walkers right next door to us. And from the sounds I heard, they're a lot more than we can take on."

"This isn't our property, Evelyn," Rick reasoned, "We're guests here. We didn't even know about the barn till this morning, it is secure."

"Secure? Do you really believe that?" she countered, checking the safety of her first gun. "I don't, and neither do you _or_ Hershel. He knows what the Walkers are capable of, otherwise he wouldn't have locked them up and barricaded the door like that. Why not just shut it? Sick or dead or not, those things are dangerous, and they will kill us the first chance they get. I hate to say this, but Shane's got a point. Either we stay and take out those Walkers, or we leave."

"And what would _you_ rather we did? Do you agree with Shane, to just barge in there and take out the Walkers? Not bother talking to Hershel?" Rick asked, agitatedly waiting for her answer.

In her opinion, the 'talking' had gone on for too long. Nothing concrete had come out of it. They'd been at the farm for a week, and most of the group still did not know if their stay was a long-term deal. The only person who could get all those answers was standing in front of her, and he still didn't have them. "This isn't a game anymore, Rick. We thought this farm was out of harm's way only to find out we're at risk here too? It's not safe for us _or_ Hershel's family to be so close to Walkers, no matter what he thinks. He needs to know that. He needs to see sense once and for all and you're the only one who can make him do that." She tilted her head to look right at him, as though reminding him of the gravity of their newfound situation. "It's your call in the end, but just know that we can't lose any more people."

Rick remained silent, taking in her words and realizing they made sense – as usual. Another tired sigh escaped him as he raked his hand through his hair. He turned towards his tent and met Lori's eyes, her face expressionless as she watched them converse.

Evelyn looked back and forth between the couple for a few moments. "Everything alright with you two?" she asked, hoping she sounded casual.

Rick stiffened a little at first, but managed a quick, forced smile. "Yeah," he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose, a gesture Evelyn knew as either he was telling a lie or he didn't want to talk about it. "I'm gonna go talk to Hershel. Once I'm done we're heading out to search for Sophia. Andrea volunteered to come with us," he added as an afterthought, pausing to gauge Evelyn's reaction.

She hesitated. "Okay."

Rick fixed her with a stern look. "I know you're not on the best terms with her, but I need you for this trip. If you could both just put your differences aside for a couple of minutes, I'd appreciate it. Can you do that?"

At first Evelyn wanted to be a brat and refuse, but she thought better of it. A moment of petulant silence later, she relented and agreed. Satisfied, Rick left for the farmhouse, and Evelyn retreated to her tent, hoping Rick returned with good news.

Eventually, he reappeared outside and made a beeline towards the barn, where Shane remained rooted. Even from this distance, she could tell that the exchange between the two friends was heated. Rick spun away from Shane and made his way back to the campsite, his expression grim. "What happened?" Evelyn asked once he was within earshot.

"Long story. I'll explain later," he said dully, changing the subject. "I ran into Andrea, by the way. She says she's gonna stay with Shane to keep watch on the barn," he informed her, and she couldn't say she wasn't relieved to hear that. "So that leaves just the two of us." He pulled out his Python and inspected it. "You still up for it?"

Evelyn gave her best nonchalant expression. "Yeah, sure," she replied noncommittally, but once again her inner teenager reappeared, giddy with delight at the thought of having alone time with Rick. But her sensible side was quick to set her mind straight. This wasn't going to be some romantic walk in the forest. They had work to do and it was imperative that she took it seriously.

Rick drew out the map and spread it over the hood of the blue truck, and Evelyn did her best to concentrate on what he was saying. "She could've been moving this way, south," he explained, tracing the path on the map. "If Sophia kept in that direction, she might've gotten out of the forest and into the farmland. So we take 74 up to Ivy Road, then push down south on foot through the forest till we hit Christopher. Go east a couple of miles, then double back-"

"Rick?"

The two turned around and saw Hershel coming towards them. Like a pair of teenagers caught smoking pot by their strict father, they quickly spun around and shielded their exposed firearms from the old man's view. "Hershel. We just have our guns out 'cause we're gonna go look for Sophia," Rick started to explain.

Hershel simply nodded. "Before you do that, I could use your help with something."

Rick's features lit up in mild surprise, and he looked at Evelyn. Her expression mirrored his, but she quickly replaced it with a smile. "Count me in." As frustrated as she was with the veterinarian, this was his land, and he had the final say over what went on around here.

Hershel returned her smile. "Thank you," he said kindly, "But I just need Rick."

Rick looked at Evelyn again and nodded at Hershel. "Give me a minute?" He turned his back to wrap up the map, and the blonde woman could see the hope spread all over his face. She leaned close to him. "I don't know what you told him, but I'm guessing it finally worked," she whispered.

"I dunno, I was a bit harsh on him," Rick said doubtfully, handing her the map.

"About time you were," she replied, surprising Rick a little with the bluntness of the statement. "I'll be here when you get back," she said to him.

Rick nodded at her, giving her a quick squeeze of her arm before following Hershel. Evelyn watched him walk away, her gaze lingering on his backside before she caught herself. Glancing around the campsite, she unwittingly met Lori's scrutinizing gaze. Not for the first time, she'd been caught staring at her husband. Evelyn looked away guiltily and made for the RV. She really should stop being so obvious.

Evelyn joined Glenn at the top of the RV, and he gave her a quick wave in greeting. "Why are you wearing Dale's hat?" she asked him.

Glenn sighed. "Maggie cracked an egg over my head this morning. She used my hat."

"Damn." Evelyn took the empty lawn chair next to him. "You okay?"

"She's pissed at me because I told you guys about the barn," Glenn said.

She studied his face. "She'll get over it, you know that, right?"

"Don't look like it'll be anytime soon," he replied sullenly, "she hasn't talked to me for days now."

"She will. She won't hold out for long. She likes you too much to." Evelyn thought Maggie's feelings for the Asian man were obvious, plus the young woman didn't seem to care what her father thought about her pursuing him.

Glenn glanced at her. "You think so?"

"I know so. We all see the way she looks at you. I think she feels the same way you do about her."

For a second, a look of hope crossed the young man's handsome features, but just as quickly, it disappeared, replaced with frustration. "I don't know. It's just…it's all been so fast, you know? One minute we were out there scavenging for supplies, the next minute we…" He trailed off, sighing heavily, tugging Dale's hat off his head and twirling it nervously. "I've never been in a relationship before, and this is so out of the blue for me. It doesn't help that we're now looking over our shoulders every five seconds. Something could happen to us, and all I can think about is how much I want to be around her while I still can, ya know?" Glenn rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never felt this way about a girl before and I'm just so confused. I barely know her and yet…all I want is to be with her."

Evelyn sat back, allowing Glenn's words to sink in, and sink in they did. Believe it or not, she understood exactly how he felt, the confusion and conflict. It was the same way she felt about a certain Sheriff's deputy. The only difference was that while Glenn and Maggie could actually find a way to make it work, Evelyn was forever doomed to pine from the sidelines.

Glenn took in the wistful expression on Evelyn's face and blushed. "Sorry, I'm rambling," he chuckled nervously. "I bet you had no such problems back in the day. You had your pick of whomever you wanted, right?"

It was Evelyn's turn to be coy. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

Glenn was. "What? How so?" he asked, intrigued, and she had to smile and shake her head. Her love life was really nothing she wanted to discuss.

Suddenly they heard noise coming from inside the RV. The two peered down the peephole in the roof and saw Shane throwing things about and cursing as he searched for something. "Looking for somethin', Shane?" Glenn called out.

The former cop stepped out of the RV and glared up at Glenn and Evelyn. "Ya see where he went?" he asked gruffly. Evelyn and Glenn looked at each other. "Who?" Evelyn finally said.

"Don't even try to shit me, okay?" he barked, "Dale, Evelyn. You see where Dale went?"

Genuinely clueless, Evelyn looked at Glenn, who answered, "He wanted me to go run and get him some water, said he would cover me on watch."

"And he was gone when you got back, huh?" Shane planted his hands on hips. He then turned his gaze to Evelyn, regarding her with disdain, which she returned with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah? Do you think he's okay?" asked Glenn, and Shane responded with a scornful huff,

"Oh, he's fine."

"Why'd he bail then?"

Shane's gaze was now fixed determinedly on the open field. "So none of y'all would tell me which way he went," he murmured.

Glenn's eyebrows shot up with confusion. "I don't get it."

"Naw man, you don't…" Shane replied, stalking off towards the woods. He said nothing further, but Evelyn could still hear the remainder of his thought, lingering in the air like a wisp of smoke.

_Dumbass_…

The two watched him walk away and waited till he was out of earshot before turning to each other. "He's slowly losing his mind, isn't he?" Glenn sighed, sitting back down in his lawn chair.

"Tell me about it." Her mind drifted to the chaotic events earlier in front of the barn. "Keep thinking I should have let Daryl go, let 'em both beat the shit of each other."

Glenn gaped at her. "Really, Ev?"

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for violence," she defended with a grin.

"He just seems so angry with the world, angry with Rick," Glenn went on. "Back before we found you two in the city, Shane was the leader of our group, the person everyone looked to for answers. Then Rick shows up and takes that away, and I'm guessing he's pissed that he's lost that place. Hell, I think _you_'ve upstaged him too."

This was news to her. "How?"

"Rick comes to you for nearly everything," Glenn pointed out. "All the big decisions he's made, you've been involved somehow. It looks like he trusts you more than Shane and I think he feels emasculated."

So that explained the glare he'd given her. "Well, I can't exactly ignore Rick when he asks me for help. Shane just needs to work more on how to get his points across better. But I have to admit he does make sense every now and then," she analyzed, "Like the barn. He's not comfortable living next to those things and frankly, neither am I. Are you?"

"No," Glenn admitted, downcast, "But I still feel like I should have kept my mouth shut."

"Why, because Maggie's pissed at you? You told us about the Walkers for our own good. Heck, for _her_ own good. Would you really leave the barn alone to appease her, and risk her getting hurt or worse, bit? Or would you risk her dad's wrath and clear it out if it means she'll be safe?" She let him think it over, and as he went quiet, deep in thought, she could already see the answers in his eyes.

The sound of faint footsteps alerted them, and they looked over to see Maggie marching towards the farmhouse with a basket tucked under her arm. Glenn stood up abruptly.

"Maggie?" he called out uncertainly, and Evelyn winced at the angry glare Maggie threw his way. She said nothing, merely continued her brisk walk and ignored him completely. Glenn looked helplessly at Evelyn, but the blonde shook her head. "Go after her," she instructed gently with a smile. "Tell her what you just told me. Let her see it your way. If she really cares about you, she'll understand."

Swallowing hard, Glenn gave a quick but firm nod and quickly scaled down the RV's ladder to catch up to Maggie. Evelyn sat back and watched the drama unfold, and smiled when Maggie eventually pulled Glenn in for a kiss. She was right after all. Satisfied with her Agony Aunt skills, Evelyn leaned back in the lawn chair and stared up at the clouds. Once again, her thoughts drifted to Rick, forced to dwell in yet another round of wishful thinking.

She could hardly believe it was only a couple of weeks ago she found him walking down that long stretch of road heading out of King County. She'd stopped her car and thrown open the door to the passenger's side for him without a second thought. Her decision then was based purely on the need for survival, and having a cop by her side would no doubt increase her chances. But now, as she lay there, she couldn't help but wonder; if she'd known what she knew now, if she'd foreseen the extent of the less-than-platonic feelings she would develop for him, would she have done things differently? Saved herself from the heartache she was currently enduring?

Probably not, she thought. It would have been cruel to leave him out there on his own. Besides, she would never have gotten this far without him, and she wouldn't have gotten to know what a good person he was. He was everything Evelyn looked for in a man, and to know he was spoken for was disappointing. The good ones were always taken, and it seemed that was no different in this new world.

A resigned sigh escaped Evelyn's full lips, shaking her head dejectedly. Rick was her friend now. He had her back and she had his, and it would be foolish to jeopardize that with a petty crush. Somehow, she'd find a way to get over it.

Somehow.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Thank you**__** bluecrush611, dropxdeadxjuliet, Tocato and sensistar for the reviews! So much appreciated. Merry Christmas in advance to all my readers, favoriters and followers! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**_

* * *

Another hour trickled by, and Rick still hadn't returned with Hershel. Evelyn was slightly worried. He shouldn't have been gone for this long. At first she'd sat there, alone on top of the RV, feeling like she'd been stood up at a date, but she quickly shook the silly sentiment away. She got up and stretched her long limbs, rolled up the sleeves of her plaid shirt and climbed down the RV, wondering if anyone else knew what was going on.

Her first stop was the barn, where T-Dog had now joined Andrea to keep watch. The big man smiled at the approaching blonde. "Yo Ev, what's goin' on?"

"Rick and Hershel should have been back by now," she told him, dusting off her denim shorts. "Have you seen them?"

"Nope." T-Dog looked perplexed. "Let's go check the house. Maybe they're there."

Evelyn stared out at the farmhouse. She hadn't seen them there but there was no harm in making sure. "Sure, let's go."

Andrea hadn't missed the fact that Evelyn didn't say a word to her. "Oh, is that how it's gonna be, Evelyn?" she spoke up when Evelyn began to follow T-Dog to the house, "You're ignoring me now?"

Evelyn continued walking, "Nothin' to say."

Andrea came up behind her. "Look, I know what I did at dinner was unfair-"

"_Unfair_?" she repeated, turning abruptly to stare down the other woman. "You set out to embarrass me and it worked. Nice to know you got off at my expense. Let me ask you something; you were a lawyer right? Is that what you did back then, passing judgment on your clients, acting all high and mighty when you were supposed to be protecting them? Isn't it innocent until proven guilty, or was it the reverse for you?"

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize here," Andrea defended, as Evelyn scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I know I shouldn't have done what I did. I was wrong."

Evelyn opened her mouth to argue some more, but stopped herself. It just wasn't worth her time. "Whatever. Let's just go back to the house."

Silence fell as the three walked together. Then Andrea said, "Hey Evelyn…in College…what did you major in?" When Evelyn fixed her with a strange look, she smiled. "Just curious."

At the apologetic look in her fellow blonde's eyes, Evelyn caved in. "Business major, Fashion Studies minor. Wanted to be the next Donna Karan," she answered, shrugging shyly.

"Not bad," Andrea nodded, and the two continued to converse. T-Dog trudged along beside them, relieved that he wouldn't need to break up any fights.

At the farmhouse they found Glenn and Maggie sitting on the steps, with Lori, Carl, Beth and Patricia on the porch. Glenn looked up at them and got to his feet. "Where's everyone else?" Evelyn asked him.

"I was about to ask you, Evelyn," Lori said to her. "Where did Rick go?"

"He went off somewhere with Hershel. We were supposed to leave to look for Sophia a couple of hours ago," she responded, looking around. No Shane, no Daryl or Carol, no Rick, no Dale or even Jimmy, and she didn't have a clue as to where they could be.

"So he didn't tell you where he went?" Lori demanded, and Evelyn sensed agitation. "No. They didn't say," she admitted.

"That's surprising, considering he tells you everything," Lori griped, and the blonde woman's eyebrow lifted at the caustic tone. "Is there a problem, Lori?" she asked cagily.

"I don't know, you tell me!" she snapped, "my husband's gone off somewhere for the millionth time and you were the last person with him." Without waiting for a response she trudged back into the house. Evelyn sighed heavily. She'd thought they'd made some progress at gun practice but clearly she was wrong.

"There you were. What the hell?" Daryl appeared seemingly from nowhere, with Carol in tow. "Rick told us he was goin' out," she spoke, looking expectantly at the others. When no one made a response, Daryl shook his head and scowled, "Dammit! Isn't anyone takin' this seriously? We got us a damn trail!"

Evelyn put a gentle hand on Carol's shoulder. "I planned on going on my own anyway, so I guess I'll just head out now-"

"By yourself?" Carol said worriedly, "You can't, it's too dangerous-"

Evelyn started to respond when she looked up and saw Shane crossing the field towards them, a rifle in one hand and the gun bag in the other. Her hand fell away from Carol's shoulder, her grey eyes narrowed as Shane pulled out a shotgun and gave it to Daryl.

"You with me, man?" he asked the hunter, who looked back at him and wrapped his hand around the shotgun and cocked it without a word. "Time to grow up!" Shane announced. Evelyn just stared like he was insane as he handed T-Dog a pistol and asked if Andrea had hers. What the heck was he doing? They weren't allowed to carry, Hershel had warned them.

"Now look!" he spoke loudly to the rest of the stunned group, "It was one thing for us to be sitting round here pickin' daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe, but now we know it ain't!" He walked up to Glenn and offered him a shotgun, "How 'bout you man? You gonna protect yours?"

Glenn looked at Maggie, back at Shane, and then grabbed the shotgun. Shane then turned to Evelyn and held out her own shotgun. "And what about you, Ev? You in this or what?"

Evelyn snatched the gun from him and got in his face. "What're you doing?" she hissed, "We can't do this! Rick said he'd talk to Hershel-"

At the mention of Rick's name, Shane promptly turned his back on her to face Maggie. "Can you shoot?" he asked her gruffly.

"Can you stop?" the young woman retorted, "You do this, you hand out all these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight!"

"We _have_ to stay, Shane," Carl pleaded, walking down the front steps of the house. Shane didn't seem to be listening to anyone, Evelyn realized, this was his plan and he was dead set on seeing it through.

"What is this?" Lori had seen what was going on and rushed out of the house.

"We ain't goin anywhere, okay?" Shane was saying, "Now look, Hershel...he's just gonna understand. He's gonna have to. Now we need to find Sophia, am I right?" His words were directed at Carl now, and he pulled a small revolver from the belt of his pants and dropped to one knee in front of the boy. "Now, I want you to take this, keep your mother safe, do whatever it takes. Go on, take the gun and do it."

Carl started to reach for the gun, but Lori threw him behind her and glared at Shane. "Rick said no guns!" she growled, "This is not your call! This is not your decision to make!"

"Oh shit!"

Everyone whirled around at T-Dog's shocked exclamation. Following his gaze, they spotted some familiar faces staggering out of the forest and towards the barn. It was Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy, leading two other individuals with what looked like catchpoles from animal control attached to their necks. On closer inspection, the group could not believe their eyes.

Shane was first to react, taking off in a dead sprint. "What is that? _What is that?_"

"Shane, wait!" Maggie tore after him, with everyone else running behind them. He slammed past the gate leading to the barn and stormed towards the three men, enraged. Evelyn got near and stared in disbelief at the sight before her; Hershel and Rick holding two Walkers on catchpoles, with Jimmy leading them to the barn. The Walkers were growling and hissing and reaching hungrily for whatever warm flesh they could get their rotting, decaying hands on. The female one in Hershel's grasp grabbed wildly at Evelyn, and she quickly backed up, snatched up her shotgun and aimed at its head.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Shane screamed at Rick, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Shane, just back off!"

Hershel glared round at Daryl, Evelyn and Glenn as they pointed their weapons at the Walkers. "Why do your people have guns?" he demanded from Rick.

_To protect ourselves from the Walkers _you're_ protecting!_ Evelyn's blood boiled and she was incredibly tempted to pull the trigger. Was this Rick's grand master plan to convince Hershel to let them stay? Helping him out with Walkers? What was he thinking?!

"Are you kiddin' me?" Shane yelled, "You see? You see what they're holdin' on to?"

"I see _who _I'm holding onto!" Hershel corrected, still trying to take the Walkers to the barn. But Shane circled them around and around, like a caged animal. "Naw man, you don't!" he said angrily.

"Shane, just let us do this so we can talk!" Rick was having a hard time trying to placate his friend and keep his Walker under control at the same time. It lunged for Shane, who skipped out of its reach. "Whatchu wanna talk about, Rick?" he raged, "These things ain't sick! They're not people! They're _dead_! Ain't gotta feel nothin' for 'em cuz all they do? They kill! These things right here! They're the things that killed Amy!" he shouted at Andrea, who nodded her head solemnly. "They killed Otis! And they'll kill all of us unless we-"

"Shane, shut up!" Rick shouted. The Walkers continued to thrash about, riled up by the noise around them.

Shane planted himself between Rick and Hershel and the barn. "Hey Hershel man, lemme ask you somethin'. Could a livin', breathin' person, could they walk away from this?" Without warning he raised his gun and fired three bullets into Hershel's Walker. Evelyn flinched at the sound of the gunfire but kept her aim steady at the Walker.

"Shane, stop it!"

But Shane was not stopping. "That's three rounds in the chest!" he said to Hershel, "Could someone who's _alive_, could they just _take _that? Why's it still comin'?" He fired again. "That's its heart, its lungs! Why is it still coming?" Another two shots, and as it went on and on, Evelyn felt a sudden shift in momentum, and the sinking sensation in her gut told her that things were about to get out of hand really quickly.

"Shane, enough!" Rick yelled. Evelyn watched Shane look at Rick, and his expression was so menacing that a chill ran down her spine. He was always erratic, yes, but she'd never seen him like this. It was as though something inside him had finally snapped, unleashing the monster that now paced before them.

"Hey, you're right man. That _is _enough." With that, he walked forward and coldly put a bullet in the Walker's head. It dropped to the ground with one final hiss, forcing Hershel let go of the catchpole. Rick stared at his friend. It was as though he was looking at a stranger.

"Enough – riskin' our lives for a little girl who's _gone_!" Shane barked as he glared at Carol, whose eyes filled with tears at his cutting words. "Enough, livin' next to a barn full of things that are tryna kill us, enough! Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now if y'all wanna live, y'all gotta fight for it! And I mean fight! Right here, right now!"

Evelyn's eyes widened as Shane rushed towards the barn door and grabbed a pick axe, smashing it through the lock and chain. Oh, no, no, no. This was going too far. Much too far. She heard Rick pleading for Hershel to take his Walker so he could try to stop Shane, but the old man remained on his knees, grief-stricken, staring helplessly at the barn. He hadn't moved since Shane shot his Walker. Chaos and noise filled Evelyn's ears as everyone yelled for Shane not to open the barn and Lori screamed for Rick. Shane finally broke off the lock and flung the board barricading the barn door aside. With a crazed yell, he pounded on the door, stepped back and aimed his handgun at the first face that would emerge from the darkness. One by one, the Walkers stepped out, stumbling hungrily towards the humans. Evelyn could not believe how many they were.

Shane took the first shot, blasting a Walker in the head. Andrea and T-Dog joined in, followed by Daryl, and within seconds the air was filled with the sound of bullets tearing into rotting flesh. Glenn asked Maggie for permission to join in, which she tearfully granted. Shane turned to Rick, his face cold and merciless. Without a word, he gunned down Rick's Walker and resumed shooting at the barn.

Evelyn stood there numbly, watching her group reach the point of no return. She almost understood Hershel's intentions, his desire to help the people he considered friends and family, but there was no help. There was no cure. The CDC had been destroyed, and clearly Rick hadn't mentioned that to him. She didn't know why, but it didn't matter anymore. The Walkers poured out of the barn and spread to the sides out of the reach of gunfire, and it was then Evelyn decided her help was needed. The fire had already been ignited by Shane. She felt bad for Hershel and his family, but these were Walkers, dangerous beings, and they had to be taken out, and taken out now.

And if she could shoot her own mother in the head, this would be no problem for her.

Evelyn stepped forward, walking past Rick as she pumped her shotgun. They locked gazes for what felt like an eternity. No words were exchanged, but Rick could see the resolve in her piercing grey eyes, her need to get this over with. He watched as she stood between Daryl and T-Dog and began firing at the Walkers. They continued to drop one by one, round after round of bullets ripping through their heads. It seemed to go on and on until the last Walker fell.

Finally, it was over.

Evelyn lowered her weapon and felt the others around her do the same. She surveyed the bodies lying before her. Twenty-nine, she counted. Nearly twice the size of her group and Hershel's household combined. She turned around and took in all the paled faces, notably Dale, who had his mouth agape in horror, his rifle trembling in his hand.

Suddenly, the sound of snarling and hissing coming from the barn alerted the whole group. The armed members instantly had their guns back up and aimed at the crack in the door. They all held a collective breath, watching as a small, sinewy figure slowly walked out of the barn, lowering its face from the scorching sun. Then, slowly, it looked up, revealing itself, and every held breath was released in shock. Evelyn felt her heart drop into nothingness. Her shotgun slid from her grip and clattered to the ground, both hands going over her open mouth and bile rising up her throat.

_Oh my God. Oh no. No!_

Sophia stood before them, pale, dirty and decaying. She still had on the blue rainbow t-shirt, cargo pants and sneakers, looking very much like she had when she'd gone missing. But now her eyes were sunken, cloudy and vacant, taking the glazed quality of a Walker's. A large, bloody bite mark stood out prominently on her shoulder. Her yellow eyes darted left and right, staring blankly at the people she once knew, the people that failed to protect her.

"Oh God! Oh God! Sophia!" Carol's tearful voice rang out as she rushed towards her daughter. Evelyn felt her already tenuous balance weaken, heartbroken for the woman. _Oh God…Someone get her away from here…she shouldn't see her daughter like this…_

Fortunately, she didn't get very far as Daryl swiftly caught her, following her down to the ground as she continued to cry for Sophia. The little girl kept coming, stepping over the fallen Walkers, growling and snarling through dirty teeth. No one could move. Everyone was stunned, wracked with agony as all their worst fears stood in front of them. Even Shane, rabidly kinetic moments before, was now immobile, staring in stunned silence at the reanimated girl.

Evelyn felt movement behind her, and watched with despair as Rick brushed past her towards Sophia, his hand on his Python and determination etched on his handsome features. He stared down Sophia, pointing his gun in her face. She continued to hiss at him, no recognition on her small, blank face at all. Evelyn fought back tears, not wanting to see the inevitable, but unable to tear her eyes away.

Rick pulled the trigger, and Sophia's small body collapsed with a dull thud. And then silence followed, punctuated only by Carol's anguished wails.

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_**A/N: Kindly review! :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Ooh wow, quite the number of reviews for the last chapter. Thank you guys! I know I've been rehashing the plot for season 2, but I'm trying to add my own little twists to it and I hope you can see that. There are some scenes no fanfic writer ever pays attention to, and I plan on doing just that. To **__bluecrush611__**, you asked if Evelyn's going to the bar with the guys. The answer is no. Every story I've read has the OC following the guys to the bar afterwards. Not this one. I'm going to focus on that other major scene that took place in that episode, and there'll be drama. You'll find out what I'm talking about in the next chapter, that's if you haven't worked it out already. ;)**_

_**Thank you to Brainsbeforebullets, dropxdeadxjuliet, bluecrush611, Annabel, Guest and merrygolds for the reviews! Thanks for giving Elastic Heart a chance, truly, truly appreciated. Hope everyone's holiday is going as brilliantly as mine is. :D**_

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It was as though time had stood still. The dust had settled, leaving carnage in its wake and its survivors still rooted in shock at what had just happened. Picking up her dropped shotgun, Evelyn's pale eyes surveyed the corpses scattered around the old barn, before finally resting on little Sophia's ragged body, lying face down by Rick's feet, a bullet hole in the back of her head. Carol's crying echoed in everyone's ears, mirroring the pain they were all feeling inside. Evelyn slowly turned her head, her heart hurting as Daryl helped Carol to her feet, only for her to push him away and run off. They all watched her go helplessly, at a loss for what to do for her. Hershel was still on his knees, Maggie by his side, while Beth cried in Jimmy's arms. Lori was on the floor with Carl, her skinny arms wrapped protectively around her son. Everyone else just stood around, confounded.

Somehow Evelyn managed to get her legs to move, stepping over the bodies and entering the barn, looking around and ensuring that there were no more Walkers lurking around. All of a sudden she heard screaming and panicked voices from outside, and she rushed out to see the group trying to pry Beth off of a female Walker. She remembered Dale mentioning that Beth's mother was among the Walkers in the barn. The teenage girl must have tried to check on her and got attacked. Evelyn aimed her shotgun at the Walker, but Andrea was quicker, grabbing a scythe and smashing it through the dead woman's head. Hershel tugged his youngest daughter into his strong arms and quickly led her away from the devastation back to their home, Maggie and Patricia in tow. Evelyn cursed under her breath when Shane tore after the disconsolate family, and along with Rick and Glenn she followed him, certain another confrontation was about to erupt.

They were right. "We been out, we been combin' these woods looking for her, and she was in there all along? And you knew!" Shane shouted at Hershel's back as they walked to the farmhouse.

"Leave us alone!" snapped Maggie.

"Shane, just stop, man!" Glenn said, sounding as drained and resigned as Evelyn felt. "Shane, now is not the time!" she added.

"Then when, Evelyn? When? Get your hands off me!" he barked at Rick, ripping his arm away from his grip and pointing accusingly at the veterinarian. "You knew and you kept it from us!"

"I didn't know," Hershel insisted.

"That's bullshit! I think y'all knew!"

"We didn't know!" Maggie shouted back.

"Why was she there?"

"Shane, calm down!" Evelyn warned.

"Otis put those people in the barn," Hershel stammered, clearly still reeling from what he'd just witnessed. "Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."

"And you expect me to believe that? What do I look like, do I look like an idiot to you?" Shane came at Hershel again, but Rick eased him away and tried to calm him down. Hershel's sadness morphed into anger, anger at the perpetrator of the heinous act on his family. "I don't care what you believe!"

"Everybody just calm down!" Rick tried to mediate, but Shane wasn't having any of it and neither was Hershel. "Get him off my land!" he bellowed.

Shane advanced once more towards the old man, getting in his face, "Let me tell you something, man-"

Evelyn started rushing forward to keep Shane away from Hershel, but Maggie beat her to it. "Hey!" Her hand flew up, slapping Shane soundly across the face. "Don't touch him!" she screamed, her green eyes blazing. "Haven't you done enough?"

Evelyn sucked in a shocked breath, gaping at Maggie with wide eyes. Shane backed off, but the fire remained in his glare. She didn't think Shane would ever hit a woman, but considering what he'd done just a few minutes ago, how he'd been acting lately, she wouldn't put it past him, not anymore.

Hershel turned furiously to the group from Atlanta. "I mean it. Off my land." With that, he retreated into his house. Glenn cast a tired glance at his fellow survivors, shaking his head and following Hershel inside.

Evelyn rotated slowly in one spot, running her hands through her hair. Rick looked at Shane, thunderstruck. "What are you doin'? Hey!" he called, the tone of his voice commanding Shane's attention. "What are you doin'?"

His partner's voice was low, controlled. "Daryl almost died looking for her, Rick. Any one of us could have. I'm tellin' you right now, that son of a bitch," He pointed angrily at the farmhouse, "he knew."

"He didn't know! He's not like that, he opened his home to us," said Rick, astonished that Shane would think such a thing.

"Honestly Shane, we don't know that," Evelyn argued, shaking her head. Despite her reservations about Hershel, he didn't strike her as the conniving and cruel type. Naïve? Yes. Manipulative? Not at all. She seriously doubted he knew Sophia was in the barn all this time.

Shane couldn't understand why neither of them was seeing it his way. "He put us all in danger! He kept a barn full of Walkers!"

"So you just start an insurrection, hand out guns and massacre his family?" Rick shot back.

Shane looked like he wanted to smack Rick for being so stupid. "His family's dead, Rick," he reminded him pointedly.

"He doesn't believe that! He thinks you just murdered his family in cold blood!" Rick stepped up to Shane.

"Naw man, I don't care what he thinks!"

"I was handling it, brother, I was handling it and you just went ahead-"

"Hey, stop it! Stop it right now!" Evelyn wedged herself between the two bickering men, planting a hand on each broad chest and pushing them apart. Both men continued to glare daggers at each other over her head. "Arguing won't solve anything, what's done is done!"

"You had us out in those woods, looking for a little girl that every single one of us knew was dead! That's what you did!" Shane laughed in Rick's face. "You're just as delusional as that guy. _Both_ of ya!" He glared at them both, then brushed past Evelyn roughly and stormed off. "You were 'handling' it, huh?" he threw behind him, rubbing his head angrily.

Rick and Evelyn watched him go, standing in stunned silence for several seconds. Then, Evelyn took a deep breath, facing Rick with a serious look. "Rick…Hershel asked you to do that, right? The Walkers?" she questioned, knowing she had to hear his side of the story, give him the benefit of the doubt, "If we wanted to stay, you had to help him with the Walkers?"

His answer was preceded by an uncomfortable pause. "Yeah," Rick rasped quietly, his gaze fixed on an unknown spot on the ground. "He thought…he thought there was a cure, that he could help them all."

"You should have told him about the CDC," Evelyn said, "What we found. It was destroyed. We all watched it go down, damn near went down with it. Nothing could be done for those people at the barn. Or Sophia." She trailed off, biting her lip to keep her emotions at bay. She still couldn't believe that poor little girl was gone. In the cruelest way for that matter. And Carol had had to watch…

Rick sighed deeply and gave a sad shake of his lowered head. "Shane's right."

"What?" She did not like where this was going.

"He's right, about everything. I'm responsible for what happened to Sophia. I found her, I had her in my hands and I killed those Walkers, yet she still got bit. I had everyone out there in the forest chasing a ghost." His voice cracked slightly. "Daryl coulda been killed. And Carol…how do I look her in the eye after this?"

"You did everything you could to get Sophia back," Evelyn assured him. "We all saw you back at the highway; the moment she took off down the hill, you went right after her. You didn't hesitate, not even for a second. If one of us had gone with you, things would probably been different. We know that. We're all responsible for what happened. Look, Shane is just pissed and looking for a scapegoat, he…Rick?" She stopped, taking in the tortured expression on his face: he appeared to be on the verge of tears. "Rick…hey…hey! Look at me!" Without thinking, Evelyn grabbed his face with both hands and forced his head back up to meet her eyes. "Don't do this," she said firmly. "Do not fall apart, not now. Please. We need you now, more than ever."

Rick gave no reply; only stared intensely at Evelyn. The grief-stricken look from moments before had given way to something different, and it was then she realized how close they stood to each other. Her hands still framed his bearded cheeks. She'd been so absorbed in getting him to pull himself together that she'd inadvertently breached the boundary she'd set for herself. She quickly dropped her hands, stuffing them into her back pockets and taking a small step back. Her palms tingled from the feel of his rough yet warm skin, and she ached to touch him again. _Boundaries, Dunham. Boundaries._

If Rick noticed her sudden change in attitude, he didn't mention it. "I'm gonna go help with the bodies," he declared, jerking his head in the direction of the barn. "You comin'?"

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Sophia was to be buried along with Hershel's wife and stepson, with a small service planned for them. The other corpses were to be taken out and burned. Evelyn and Andrea helped gather them and dump them in the back of the blue truck for T-Dog to transport. When she was done, she decided to go check on Carol. Reaching the Winnebago, she found Lori there, with Daryl dutifully watching Carol as she sat in a corner, staring listlessly out the window. "Come on," Lori was saying gently to her, trying to convince her to attend the service for Sophia.

But Carol didn't even blink. "Why?"

"Cause that's your little girl," Daryl reasoned, causing Carol to shrug indifferently. "That's not my little girl, that's some other….thing," she maintained, her voice lethargic and devoid of any emotion. "My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time I thought she didn't cry herself to sleep, she didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back…Sophia died a long time ago."

She turned back to the window, silent. All three of them could see that there would be no changing her mind. Casting a sad look her way, Lori descended down the front steps of the RV, meeting Evelyn's grey eyes.

"I'll stay with her," the blonde woman offered. "It's not a good idea to leave her all alone. You guys go ahead."

Lori wanted to object. She felt everyone should attend the service as it was the right thing to do by Sophia. But she held her tongue, instead giving a short nod and walking back to the farm. Seconds later Daryl followed suit, giving Evelyn a cursory glance as he exited the RV. Evelyn could see he was just as torn up about the whole situation, perhaps more than anyone else. He had come so close to death searching for Sophia, and to know all his efforts had been futile bothered him.

Evelyn climbed slowly into the RV, sliding into the small booth beside Carol. She waited quietly until Carol finally turned her head, eyeing the younger woman disapprovingly. "You should be out there, helping the others," she reprimanded.

Evelyn shrugged, "They'll do fine without me. I'm not leaving you alone," she stated simply, leaving no room for argument.

The short-haired woman took one long look at her, then looked back out the window. It was several minutes before she said anything again. "I guess I saw this coming," A short, bitter laugh escaped her lips. "All those years stuck in that excuse for a marriage…I couldn't even protect myself, how did I ever think I could protect my own child?"

Carol choked back a sob, flicking her fingers underneath her reddened eyes, "She was just a child! What did she ever do to deserve this? For her short life to be taken so cruelly from her like this? She had her whole life ahead of her, and she would have made it through this world. I knew she would have. She was so much stronger than her daddy ever gave her credit for." Her voice wavered with pent-up emotion. Evelyn sat mutely, allowing the older woman to vent. She didn't say anything. There was nothing to say to alleviate Carol's pain.

"All I can think of is how I wish I could turn back time, go back to the highway. I wish the Walkers came after _me_, not her. I'd give anything to have taken her place. I have nothing to live for anymore. She did. Why her? Why not me? Oh God, what am I gonna do without my little girl? What am I gonna do without Sophia?" Carol buried her face in her hands. Evelyn gently held the broken woman close, and she collapsed against her, weeping into her shoulders. Evelyn rubbed her skinny arm up and down, placing a kiss on the top of her head, and fought back tears of her own.

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**_Please review! :)_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Oh my lawd, look at all the reviews that showed up for the last chapter. You guys are so amazing :') thank you. It's fascinating how many of you think Evelyn is so composed and analytical. She definitely has her moments of madness, as seen at the end of chapter 4, and there'll be more to come, probably sooner than you think. ;) **_

_**Much love to **__**DarylDixon'sLover**__**, bluecrush611, **__**wabi-sabi1090**__**, DarkestInk, **__**Brainsbeforebullets**__**, dropxdeadxjuliet, **__**Tocato**__** and mamareadstomuch2 for the feedback! To all Rick/OC shippers, Ariel aka bluecrush611 has a treat for you in the form of a beautiful story called 'Solace'. Find it, read it, and you will enjoy it, that's a promise. :)**_

_**This is 10, the final update for 2013. Enjoy!**_

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The service for Sophia, Annette and Shawn took place in complete silence. Everyone was present, save for Carol and Evelyn, standing quietly for several minutes around the three fresh graves before they dispersed in similar quiet, left to their thoughts. Evelyn reappeared sometime after the service to continue helping with disposing of the other bodies. Carol had asked to be left alone for a while and Evelyn agreed to it. It would be good if she was allowed to grieve on her own. Evelyn could keep herself busy by being of use to the rest of the group.

Rick showed up with Lori and Dale at the spot where T-Dog, Andrea and Evelyn were loading bodies onto the blue truck. "Few more trips?" he asked Andrea, stealing a glance at Evelyn as she rolled a corpse further into the truck to make space for more. The hem of her shirt hitched up a little, revealing toned, tanned skin. Rick quickly looked away.

"We got lucky," Andrea answered, grunting from exertion. "Burn anymore and we could have been overrun."

"Good thing Shane did what he did when he did," T-Dog chimed in, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his shirt sleeve.

Dale cast an incredulous glance in their direction. "You can't tell me this was right!"

"It wasn't. It'll cost us with Hershel," Evelyn pointed out, dusting her grimy hands on her shorts, all the while taking care not to look at Rick.

"He's grieving. He'll come around, see we had no choice," Andrea assured Dale, who didn't look convinced. "Look, I shot too, this wasn't all Shane."

"Look, I got no qualms about it. Walkers in my backyard? Mm-mm." T-Dog shook his head.

"I'm not saying that we shouldn't have taken care of the problem but creating a _panic_-"

"There's no point arguing about it, it's done," Lori spoke up quietly to Dale, arms crossed resignedly over her chest. "There's nothing we can do about it."

For once, Evelyn agreed with her. Inadvertently, she switched her gaze from Carl's mother to his dad, and found him looking right at her. She dreaded to know what was going through his mind at that moment. He was probably wondering what the hell she'd been thinking, touching him like that. Oh well. A small part of her wished she could undo that moment, but she knew it wasn't possible.

"Better get movin'." T-Dog's voice broke through her thoughts, thankfully so. She tore her eyes away from Rick and joined T-Dog in the passenger's side of the truck, while Andrea sat on the tailgate. As they drove away to the site for the bonfire, she watched Rick head back to the campsite with Dale.

They returned to learn that Beth had suddenly collapsed in the kitchen, probably from shock and overwhelmed by everything that had just happened. She hadn't moved since Maggie took her to bed, and she and Glenn couldn't find Hershel anywhere. Shane, Rick, Lori, Glenn and Maggie had searched the old man's room and found all of his wife's things packed in boxes. It seemed he had finally accepted her death, after weeks of holding on to the hope of finding a cure that didn't exist. They'd found an old hip flask in the room, and Maggie had figured he'd taken up drinking again. Rick and Glenn had headed out to the bar in town to look for him and bring him back for his youngest daughter. Evelyn hadn't seen them go. She would have liked to join them, as backup at least. She could only hope they returned safely with Hershel.

Dale stepped out of the farmhouse with Evelyn after having checked on Beth's condition. "This place has gone to hell," the man muttered sadly.

"Too right," Evelyn agreed, her boots kicking lazily at the sandy ground as the two walked to the Winnebago. "It's been a chaotic few weeks to say the least."

"I still can't believe there are people in this group who think that what Shane did was justified."

At the mention of Rick's unpredictable partner, the blonde woman exhaled. "I know you two can't stand each other, but I think he did something that needed to be done."

Dale's voice grew low, wary. "He's dangerous."

"Yeah, he's a hothead," she conceded.

"No Evelyn, he's _dangerous_," Dale insisted, and her head snapped up to meet his eyes. The look on his face, the emphasis he placed on the last word he spoke sent a ripple of unease through her body. But Dale was not done. He clutched his rifle a little tighter, staring off to the side. "I think he killed Otis."

Evelyn came to an abrupt stop, her silver eyes wide. "Otis was killed by Walkers," she reminded him firmly.

Dale scoffed at her in response. "He knew how to handle Walkers! Otis was the one putting them in the barn!"

"You need to be _really_ clear with me right now, what are you saying?" It wasn't that she hadn't heard him the first time; she just couldn't believe what he was insinuating.

"I believe that Shane sacrificed Otis," Dale theorized. He was stammering, tumbling over his words as he tried to get his point across, but his kind eyes were full of the conviction his tone lacked. "I can't prove it, but I think that he shot him and left him for bait so he could get away."

A million questions jumbled around inside Evelyn's mind. The first was why he was divulging this kind of information to her. Had he told anyone else? Glenn? Andrea? Rick? Were there others in the group that had been thinking the same thing about Shane all this time? "Shane's crazy, I'll give you that. But he's not a murderer," she tried to reason. "And…and Otis was trying to help him, why would he kill him?"

"Maybe he was pinned down, he was in a tight spot." Dale let out a sound of exasperation at the skepticism on the blonde woman's face. "Don't look at me like that, Evelyn! I know what I'm saying! He said it, he said it! He all but threw it in my face!"

Any reply she had formulated evaporated from her lips. She could only gape in amazement at the old man. Dale shook his head, a hint of nervousness creeping into his lowered voice. "I'm telling you, I knew guys like him. And sooner or later…he's gonna kill somebody else."

And with that, he left her and entered his RV, leaving Evelyn to process the bombshell he'd just dropped on her. She was having a difficult time coming to terms with it. Evelyn wasn't Shane Walsh's biggest fan. He had his issues, but even he wouldn't stoop to murdering someone. Was the old man taking his disdain too far? Or was he onto something?

Were Evelyn and the rest of the group living with a cold-blooded killer?

* * *

Several hours had passed by, and the men hadn't returned. Beth's condition was worsening; her heart was racing and she was burning up. Even Patricia was at a loss for what to do. The only person that could help the teenage girl was Hershel, and he wasn't back. Anything could have happened to him and Glenn and Rick, and if no one else would go out to help find them, she was going to take matters into her own hands.

Lori threw on a jacket and swiped the keys to Maggie's car, keeping her actions as quiet as possible. She stepped outside the house through the back, shutting the door quietly. Taking one quick look around to make sure no one could see her, she checked that the small black revolver was loaded before tucking it into the back of her jeans, and then crept down the small steps towards the car.

"Goin' somewhere?"

Lori nearly jumped out of her skin and spun around wildly, calming when she saw it was just Evelyn. The blonde woman leaned against a tree, arms crossed, grey eyes observing Lori with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "Where ya runnin' off to?"

"I'm going to go find them," she said, sounding more confident than she felt. "Daryl won't go and everyone else is looking after Beth, so I gotta do it myself."

Across from her, still propped up against the tree, arms still linked carefully against her chest, Evelyn stood in silence, biting her lip in concentration. Then she said, "I'm coming with you."

"You don't have to do that," said Lori.

"Oh, but I insist. I'm not letting you run off on your own. Unless you want me to alert the others…see how they feel about that." Evelyn tilted her head to the side challengingly.

Lori glared petulantly at the blonde woman, annoyance bubbling within her. She sighed resignedly, her eyes drifting closed for a moment. "Fine. Get in."

Evelyn took the keys from Lori. "I'll drive."

They set off down the road, the drive in awkward silence. Both women were worried; worried about Rick and Glenn and Hershel; if they were safe, if they may have been attacked by Walkers; more worried about Hershel – if he had indeed gone drinking, was he even in any state to render medical care to his daughter? Of what use would he be to her then?

"What's the nearest route to the bar in town?" Evelyn asked Lori, keeping her eyes on the road. "Check the map. There should be a couple of intersections leading into town."

Lori pulled out the map and started to trace her finger over it. "I'm not sure where we are in the first place."

"We're on 74 right now, heading to Ivy Road," said Evelyn.

Lori traced the route over the map and pointed. "This looks like the shortest route. Then again, I may not be sure. I've never been great with maps."

Evelyn glanced disbelievingly at her. "You're joking, right?"

Lori's jaw clenched, her pretty face flushed with embarrassment. "What? Is that a crime now?"

"Never said it was," Evelyn backtracked, unable to help the smirk that formed on her lips, "I'm just wondering how you planned on finding Rick and the others all by yourself if you didn't know where you were going."

"I couldn't _not_ do something," Lori defended. "They've been gone for too long. They could be out there, hurt. I had to try."

"Course ya did," Evelyn retorted. Her condescending tone angered Lori. She huffed and rolled her eyes, turning to her window. "I shouldn't have let you come," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Too bad, I'm here now. Deal with it," Evelyn said arrogantly. "Obviously you need me, otherwise you'd be long lost by now."

Lori could hold her tongue no longer. "You must think you're some kind of superhero. Not everyone needs your help for everything, Evelyn. Especially not Rick."

At the sound of his name, the blonde woman's insides immediately twisted with guilt, but she quickly suppressed it with an incredulous laugh. "What's he got to do with anything?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! You think I don't see it, the way you look at him? I'm his wife! I see the way you fawn over him, trying to impress him every five seconds. I don't know how you did things back where you worked, but the seduction thing or whatever it is you do is not going to fly with me, not with my husband."

"Of course. Play the Slutty Stripper card." Evelyn rolled her eyes. "I don't know about you Lori, but I don't mess around with men who are taken, let alone married men. Being cheated on is not fun, trust me. But _you_ wouldn't know nothin' about that, would you?" She took her eyes off the road to shoot a disdainful glance at the woman in the passenger seat.

Lori stiffened.

Evelyn laughed snidely, looking out into the open road. "You and your husband's best friend? How cute." She snapped her fingers, as though remembering something. "Oh _right_, you thought Rick was dead. How long was he gone for before y'all hooked up? A week? Five days?"

"So I'm the bad guy now, right?" Rick's wife crossed her arms defensively. "Because I made a mistake? You don't know anything about me, or what happened!"

"You know nothing about me, either, about what I've been through! All you've done since the first time we met is look at me like I'm some sort of maneater."

"And all you've done is look at me like you wish I didn't exist. Because that's what you want, right?" Lori taunted, "Me out of the way?"

Frankly, Evelyn would have liked nothing more. "No, because it would crush Rick," she said calmly. "He loves you, and unlike you, Lori, I don't think only about myself."

Both women glared daggers at each other. The silence that filled the car bristled with hostile tension. Lori started to say something back but stopped short, catching sight of something in the distance, a sight that was enough to make her scream, "Evelyn, look out!"

Evelyn's head snapped forwards, gasping with alarm when she saw the Walker in the middle of the road. Her reflexes kicked in, and she yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, veering the car violently off the road. She lost control, however, the vehicle flying through the air. Hers and Lori's screams were the last thing Evelyn heard before they crashed into the trees.

* * *

_**A/N: Soooo…how did that go? The confrontation between Lori and Evelyn has been a long time coming, right? I'm halfway through chapter 11, perhaps a couple of nice reviews would motivate me to speed up the writing and updating process. Yes? ;) Constructive feedback is very helpful. Feel free to PM me too! :D**_

_**It's been a fabulous 2013. Thanks for the love you've all shown me in such a short time; the reviews, follows and favorites. I truly appreciate them. Here's wishing everyone an even better 2014, in TWD, TWDFF and beyond! **_

_***Hugs and kisses from Ada.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Wowzers! What an intro to the New Year! The most number of reviews I've had so far! You have no idea how happy I am to know that readers are warming up to my story and people are warming up to Evelyn. I can't wait to show you more chapters as soon as they're complete! **_

_**Special mwahs to DarylDixon'sLover, Annabel, bluecrush611, LiviLottie, Guest 1, wabi-sabi1090, Tocato, dropxdeadxjuliet, DarkestInk, kyolover16 and Guest 2! **_

_**So Lori and Evelyn were in a car crash. *GASP* Here's what happened next.**_

* * *

"Lori, Evelyn, dinner!" Carol called up the stairs, as the rest of the group sat around the dining table.

"They're not there," said Maggie.

"Where are they?" asked Dale. No reply came forth as no one had any idea where either woman could be.

Shane looked across the table at Carl. "Carl, when's the last time you saw your mom?"

"This afternoon," he replied, distress creeping into his voice. He actually hadn't seen her since, which was very unusual and suddenly very worrying.

"She was worried about Rick, asked me to look in on Carl," said Andrea. "And I saw Evelyn go in her tent after we returned from burning the Walkers."

"Well, she's not there, I checked a few minutes ago." Dale frowned. "So they both went after Rick?"

"We don't know that," said Andrea, just as Shane and Carl rose from the table. The rest of them followed suit, realizing the seriousness of the situation. T-Dog went outside the house to Evelyn's tent, while Carol set off in the direction of Daryl's camp. Checks at the barn, the yards, the RV and all the other tents came up fruitless. Two members of their group were evidently missing.

"Where are they?" Carl moaned, fighting back tears. "Where's my mom?"

Carol returned, looking somber. "Lori asked Daryl to go into town. She must have gone herself. Maybe Evelyn went with her."

No one looked pleased by the report at all. Carl ran away crying, with Andrea following him. Shane marched up to Dale. "Did ya know about this?" he growled at the old man, his grip on his shotgun menacing.

"No," Dale replied truthfully, but it was obvious that Shane didn't believe him. "I wouldn't let any of them go out there alone!" he maintained, but Shane had already hopped into the Hyundai and driven off.

* * *

Evelyn slowly opened her eyes, and was instantly welcomed by a searing throbbing in her head and left leg. A coppery, sour tang filled her mouth, and she realized she was tasting her own blood. She hung upside down, her seatbelt the only thing keeping her in place. Every part of her body ached, and the unnatural, dizzying position she was in stirred the bile in the pits of her stomach. It was difficult to focus. Evelyn's bruised hands were shaking as she pushed her thumb down the seatbelt buckle to release the latch, but it didn't budge. She tried twice, a third time without success. She was trapped in the seat.

The sound of growling and scraping from somewhere had her turning her head. Her heart plummeted when she saw a Walker crouched by the windshield, scratching the glass in front of Lori. She was lying in a weird angle, her eyes still closed, blood trickling down her mouth and forehead. Evelyn tried to move her body, battling the vertigo and panic rising within her. "Lori," she called, but her voice came out tiny and frail. She tried again, praying that the other woman wasn't dead. "Lori…Lori, can you hear me?" Evelyn cast another glance at the Walker. It had reached a new level of desperation, squeezing its face through the glass to get at Lori. "Lori, wake up!"

Finally, thankfully, her eyes fluttered open, immediately latching onto the Walker. A low, terrified whimper escaped the woman's lips, and the sound caused Evelyn's head to pound even harder. "Lori? Lori, I need you to focus. It's the only way we're gonna get out of here."

Lori quieted immediately, taking rapid, gasping breaths as she tried to keep her terror at bay. Evelyn was just as fearful, but she had to keep a level head. "My switchblade…it's in my gun belt," she instructed Lori. "Take it."

Lori's wild eyes searched frantically for the knife in question. With a trembling hand she reached out and pulled it out of Evelyn's belt, and kept her hand steady enough to thrust the blade through the Walker's eye. The creature slumped instantly, dead.

Evelyn managed to find her other switchblade. She started to saw through the seatbelt, having fight through the exploded airbags to get to it. She felt weak from loss of blood, and what was left of it was rushing to her head. Each movement she made caused her leg throb painfully, but she kept at it determinedly. Her priority was to get both her and Lori out of here.

She was almost done setting herself free when suddenly a hand clamped down on her hair and yanked hard, causing her to scream with alarm and drop her knife. The hand was cold, clammy and slimy; Walker. It had crawled into Evelyn's side of the car, drawn to the scent of fresh meat. She clawed desperately at the vice-like grip, terrified that the thing could scratch her scalp.

"Evelyn! Here!" Lori quickly passed the dropped switchblade to her. She snatched it and with great effort, twisted her body to drive it up the Walker's chin. She shoved the dead weight away from her, and grunted with pain when her seatbelt suddenly snapped loose and she landed hard on her back. The pain in her leg intensified. Lori kicked the rest of the shattered windshield open, and she crawled out, wincing as the glass cut into her skin. She carefully pulled Evelyn out of the wreck with her. The blonde stood too hard on her bad leg and gasped in pain. "Shit, your leg," Lori remarked, eyeing the long gash that scarred Evelyn's calf.

"I'm okay," Evelyn promised, wiping blood out of her eyes and moving gingerly. From her peripheral vision, she spied movement and looking up, she gasped. "Lori, behind you!"

The Walker lunged, but neither was able to get out of the way in time. All three went crashing to the ground, but Evelyn recovered the fastest, and she limped over and kicked the Walker away from Lori with her good leg. Her bad leg promptly buckled underneath her and she fell back down again, the air rushing out of her lungs with an audible _WHOOSH_. Evelyn shuddered as she came face to face with the Walker, which bared its rotten teeth and began crawling menacingly towards her, growling loudly. She scrambled backwards with her hands, kicking at it with her good leg, ragged breaths escaping her as she tried to put as much distance between them. Her gun was tucked in her belt behind her and she wasn't going to reach it in time, not with the way the Walker kept grabbing so closely at her.

Lori raised her head and saw the Walker going after Evelyn. Scrambling to her feet, she seized her pistol from her belt, pointed it and pulled the trigger, the bullet tearing into the back of the Walker's head. Evelyn glanced down at the dead corpse at her feet and back up at Lori. "Not bad, Mrs. Sheriff," she grinned feebly, appreciation prevalent in her voice.

For a second Lori stood there, shaken, unable to believe she'd actually killed the Walker. She tucked the gun back into her pocket and rushed over to help Evelyn up. "Can you walk?"

"I'll manage," Evelyn said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Lori looked around in despair. "What the hell are we going to do? We're in the middle of nowhere and you're hurt." She cast another weary glance at Evelyn's wound. It didn't look good…the longer they spent out here, the bigger the risk of an infection, which would only make things worse.

"We keep walking," the blonde urged, "Try to get off this road. I'll be okay. Let's go."

Lori gave her a long look and then nodded. She wound Evelyn's arm around her shoulders and took hold of her waist. Together, they walked down the road, both pairs of eyes darting around occasionally for any sign of more Walkers lurking around. The sound of thunder rolled in the distance. Evelyn glanced at Lori from the corner of her eye, wondering whether she should apologize for what happened in the car. That she was even alive to consider this was something she knew she should be grateful for. Lori was thinking the exact same thing, but neither knew how to go about making the first move. So they plodded on in silence and focused on the task at hand. They could apologize properly to each other later, that's if they eventually made it out of this mess.

The sound of tires and headlights illuminating the road ahead spun them around, their hands closing cautiously over their weapons. A familiar green Hyundai came to an abrupt stop in front of them. Shane came out of the car and hurried towards the two women. "You two alright?"

"We're fine," said Lori.

"You're not fine, I saw the wreck," he insisted, relieving Lori of Evelyn's weight. He perched her against the hood of the car, and Evelyn leaned gratefully against it. He shone a flashlight in each of their eyes, checking for possible concussions. "What happened?" Three Walkers and a wrecked car littered the side of the road when he got there. That they had gotten out alive and in one piece was nothing short of a minor miracle.

The two women shared a quick glance, and Evelyn decided to take the fall. "I looked down at the map, hit a Walker."

"Next time, y'all stay put," Shane replied sternly. "Come on now, we gotta get back-" he started to reach for Lori but she pushed him off. "No, no, we gotta find Rick!"

Shane stared at each woman, absorbing their defiant expressions, and he knew what he needed to do. "He's back," he told them. "They're all back. They're all safe and sound."

Lori's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Shane nodded. Evelyn didn't look convinced, Dale's earlier words of warning flitting through her mind. "Are you sure?" she demanded, looking Shane right in the eye, as though she could filter out any untruths just by staring him down.

Shane didn't even flinch. "Positive. Rick and Glenn and Hershel, they got in twenty minutes ago. Now come on, they're all waiting for us."

"Oh, thank God." A drawn-out sigh of relief left the dark-haired woman, and she tiredly made her way tiredly to the passenger's side. Shane carried Evelyn into the back seat, stretching her legs out and putting a clean cloth over the wound on her leg. He never met her eyes.

The whole group rushed towards them when they returned, having anxiously waited outside. "Oh my God, are you alright? What happened?" asked Andrea, looking shocked when she saw a battered-looking Evelyn being helped out of the Hyundai by Shane.

"We were in an accident. I'm fine, but Evelyn should get checked out," said Lori, ensuring Maggie took Evelyn before returning her attention to Andrea. "Where's Rick?"

Andrea fell silent, staring strangely at Lori. Evelyn looked round at everyone's faces, all wearing the same look of confusion as Andrea. "They're not back?" she questioned, dread and anger forming in the pit of her gut.

They shook their heads no. Both Evelyn and Lori whipped around to face Shane, who kept his eyes on the floor. "Where are they?" Lori demanded.

"I had to get you back here," he stated, his piteous tone causing the rage to roar within Evelyn. He lied, just as she'd suspected. He'd lied right to Lori's face about Rick. _Again._

If Evelyn was angry, then Lori was downright furious. She charged at Shane, pushing him violently. "You asshole! Where is my husband?" she cried, batting wildly at him. Evelyn was highly tempted to join her, give him a good punch in the face.

"I'll go after them, I will find them!" Shane promised in a feeble attempt to placate the incensed Lori. "But first things first, I gotta make sure you're alright," His eyes softened as he looked her over, "I gotta make sure the baby's okay, alright?"

Evelyn went stock-still, the color draining from her face. _Baby?_ She glanced back and forth between Shane and Lori, took in the woman's wide-eyed features, saw the truth of Shane's words on her face, and the world around her began to sway dangerously.

_She's pregnant._

_Jesus Christ._

Everyone else was just as surprised. No one knew. Apparently Lori hadn't told Carl either, and when the boy asked why she didn't, she was stumped for a suitable response. So was Evelyn. She was reeling. Lori was pregnant. Lori was having a baby.

Rick's baby.

Dale diffused the awkward situation by ushering Evelyn and Lori inside the house. As she passed by him, Evelyn met his eyes, and it wasn't hard to read his mind.

_If he can lie about something like that, what else do you think he's capable of?_

Patricia led Evelyn to the kitchen area to treat her leg, which needed stitches. Maggie sat with them, cleaning up the wound on Evelyn's temple. She noticed how Evelyn's usually tanned features had become pale and sunken. She also hadn't missed the look on her face when Shane brought up Lori's baby - like she'd been punched in the gut. Maggie didn't know what it meant but she knew better than to pry, and she decided to keep her observations to herself.

"There," Patricia announced when she was finished and smiled warmly at Evelyn. "Should be good as new in a couple of days. Maggie, take her upstairs, let her get some rest."

Evelyn nodded absently. There was a distant look in her pale eyes. "Thank you."

"Come on," Maggie coaxed her, leading her out of the kitchen and up to her bedroom. "You can stay here tonight," she offered, rummaging through her closet for some clean clothes and placing them neatly on the bed next to Evelyn.

"Oh no, Maggie, you don't have to do that." At the young woman's questioning gaze, Evelyn bowed her head sheepishly, "After all, I crashed your car."

A smile spread across Maggie's pretty face, and she shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're safe. Thanks for tryin' to help find my dad," she said softly. The sincerity with which she spoke made Evelyn's chest tighten.

Patting her shoulder lightly, Maggie quietly exited the room, shutting the door behind her. Evelyn only had enough strength to climb gingerly into the bed. She laid her head on the pillow and curled up into a tight ball, her back to the door. For a long time she lay there, unmoving. Her eyes, blank and unfocused on the stretch of wall in front of her, began to water.

* * *

_**A/N: I hope that went well for you lovely readers. My narrative skills need a bit more work, but I'll keep trying. **_

_**Opinions on this latest update? :)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Very interesting feedback I received for the previous chapter, haha. Time will tell is all I can say. Much appreciated wabi-sabi1090, GypsyWitchBaby, bluecrush611, DarkestInk, DarylDixon'sLover, Annabel, Tocato, Brainsbeforebullets and Claire. And for those who PM'd me to ask, Evelyn is played by the beautiful Brooklyn Decker.**_

_**For background music while you read, I highly recommend Massive Attack's "Teardrop" for the second half of this chapter. Maybe there are more appropriate songs out there, but this song worked wonders for me. So enjoy!**_

* * *

The plan to go on a search for the three men was scrapped when the old red Chevy Suburban came rolling down the road to the farm the next morning. They did not come alone, but that was information they planned on keeping on the low for now. They needed to break the news to the group gently and figure out what to do about it together.

Rick made a beeline for Carl, enveloping his son in a big hug before drawing Lori in. He, Glenn and Hershel had come so close to becoming Walker bait that holding his family was much more treasured than ever. Rick noticed Lori's embrace was tighter, more affectionate than usual, and when he pulled back, he inhaled sharply when he took in the fading bruises on her face and the cut on her lip. What happened while he was gone?

Lori was giving him a look-over of her own. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

Rick shook his head, gently cupping his wife's face. "No, but what happened to you?"

"I was in a car accident."

He gasped, thoroughly shocked. "Accident? How?"

Lori finally met his eyes. "I went looking for you."

"She and Ev snuck out on their own," Shane came up from behind them, having taken everything in him not to gag at the couple's earlier exchange. "I brought 'em back."

Rick whipped back to Lori, his head tilted in disbelief. "Are you _crazy_? You coulda-"

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog pointed at the truck, where a young man sat in the backseat, blindfolded and seemingly out cold.

"That's Randall," Glenn informed the group with a flat voice, and strolled tiredly into the house. As the others hurried over to get a better look at the newcomer, Shane fixed Rick with a disbelieving look, but Rick ignored him. He'd have a chance to say his piece when they talked it over with the rest of the group.

The 'talk' escalated into a heated debate, with the group unable to decide what to do with the kid. To nobody's surprise, Shane stormed out, angered by what he was hearing, but not before he received a vicious tongue-lashing from Hershel. The old farmer hadn't forgotten what the former cop had done to his barn. While this was happening, Rick's mind was on the missing member of their group. How was Evelyn doing? Apparently she'd been the one driving when the accident happened. Was she hurt, and if so, how badly? She'd been forgotten in the heat of the discussion over Randall. Rick found himself anxious to end this meeting and go check on her.

So when the group dispersed, he stayed behind and sought out Maggie. "Dale says Evelyn stayed in your room last night. Can I see her?"

"I guess so, she's probably awake now. Upstairs, second door to your left," Maggie answered. Rick nodded his thanks and made his way up the stairs to Maggie's room. He knocked softly a couple of times on the door before gently pushing it ajar. Evelyn's back was turned, pulling down the hem of the white tank top she'd just put on. She spun around tensed, and then relaxed when she saw it was only him. "Hey," she greeted softly, her face alight with relief that he was back, safe and sound.

Rick quickly crossed the room and pulled her against him. "I heard what happened. Thank God you're okay," he whispered.

Evelyn hugged him back, relishing the feel of his strong arms around her, breathing in his masculine, musky scent for only a couple of seconds before she abruptly released him, as the shock of last night's discovery suddenly rekindled in her memory. "What about you?" she asked.

Rick nodded. "It was a close call, but we made it." There was concern in his blue eyes as he looked over her injuries. She'd come off worse than Lori had, but other than that she seemed okay, which came as a big relief to him. "What happened out there?"

She wasn't about to start explaining the argument with his wife to him. Not now, probably not ever. "Long story." She glanced away, inadvertently exposing her injured temple in the process. Hesitating at first, Rick reached out to run his thumb along the broken skin. Evelyn held back a gasp as electricity rippled down her spine at the feather-like contact.

"You shouldn't have come lookin' for us," he told her, holding her gaze steadily, and Evelyn found herself on the verge of doing something she should not. Before that moment could arrive, she moved deftly out of his reach, keeping her distance as she casually pulled her blonde hair into a high ponytail. "Well, I did. You're welcome."

Rick quickly lost patience with her abrasiveness. "Damn it Ev, this isn't a game! You coulda been seriously hurt, or killed, or…" he swallowed, "worse."

"Going after you was Lori's idea, Rick, but I couldn't just let her go on her own! She was worried, and frankly so was I."

Rick stopped himself from arguing, bowing his head to take a shaky breath. When he looked back at her, his expression had softened considerably, but emotion still brimmed beneath the surface. "We could have lost you both. How do you think that would have affected the rest of us? After all the people we've already lost…" He trailed off, his gaze still penetrating her own, wondering what was going through her mind.

It was the baby. It was all she could think about last night. _His _baby – another person that Rick would always put before everyone else, including Evelyn. It was selfish of her to feel that way, but it was true. His wife, son and unborn child would always be his main priority. There was no room for her on that boat, and the sooner she stopped believing otherwise, the better. "Look, nothing happened to us, alright? We're alive. Your baby's fine, and that's all that matters." She gave him a knowing look, her tone clipped and cold. "You can leave now."

Rick stood there dumbly. She'd never spoken to him that way before. "Evelyn-"

"Go tend to your wife, Rick," she urged. There was no bitterness in her voice this time, just tiredness and bleak acceptance. "She's pregnant and she needs you."

Her heart sank at the look of hurt in his eyes, and she turned around, unable to face him anymore. Evelyn waited until she heard his retreating footsteps and the door shut before she released a trembling sigh, raking her hair out of her eyes. It hurt to throw him out like that, but she needed space, and he needed to be with Lori. Evelyn had done the right thing. She knew so.

Looking out the lone window in the bedroom, she thought about her mother and longed for her advice on her conflicting feelings. But reminiscing about her always took Evelyn back to that awful day when everything changed for her – a day she would give anything to rewind, but knew that nothing she had to offer could ever change the outcome.

* * *

_At first we thought it was nothing but a dumb joke._

_People eating other people, the dead coming back to life and feeding on the living…I mean, how lame was that? Stuff like that only happened in those crappy horror movies, or those Resident Evil video games my ex used to play all the time on his stupid X-Box. But here they were, broadcast every other day on the local news, each story more ludicrous than the last. I chalked it all up as the press having slow news days and dismissed them without a second thought. It became gossip fodder for the girls at the Club, laughing about the mindlessness of the stories, while the more sensitive girls were teased for being naïve and queasy. There was nothing to worry about, in my opinion – just a couple of sensationalist hacks looking for attention._

_But then the reports became more and more frequent._ _Things got weirder with each passing day, and suddenly it wasn't funny anymore. Paranoia and fear began to set in, and it brewed and brewed until Atlanta and its neighboring environs descended into complete chaos. I'd be lying if I said I was prepared for it. You can never be ready for something like this, can you? Looking back on it now, I wish I was._

_I came into work early that fateful afternoon, and walked into the dressing room to see all the girls running around, gathering their things. Jessie, a co-worker and my closest friend, saw me and rushed over. "Oh my God Evelyn, can you believe this?" was the first thing she said._

"_What? What's going on?" I asked, taken aback by the look of utter panic in her eyes. "Jessie, what is it?"_

"_It's happening, Evelyn, it's happening everywhere! Those zombie stories we kept laughing about…only they're not stories anymore-" She paused, taking rattling breaths before continuing. "Karina came in here a few minutes ago crying hysterically. She said she saw some guy-" she gagged, putting her hand over her mouth, "-eating a young kid on her way here. We've all been watching the news…people have gone crazy, feasting on each other like fucking barbecued ribs!" _

_She paused and shuddered, the lights from the fluorescent above us bouncing off her caramel skin. In all the years I've known Jessie McKnight,__ she had always been fearless. Nothing fazed or scared her, ever. Nothing…until now.__ "We have to get out of here, Ev. The authorities have said we should evacuate, head to Fort Benning. They're bringing in the damn Army for this thing…whatever it is."_

_I looked into her hysterical brown eyes, the wheels turning in my head. If this was true…if she was right…then there was only one thing I had to do right now. Nothing else mattered anymore. "I have to get my mom."_

_Jessie frowned. "Isn't she way out of town? King County or something?__"_

_"__Yeah…sorry Jess, but__ if what you're saying is indeed true, then__ I gotta go back for her," I told her, already reaching for my keys._

_With surprising speed, Jessie grabbed hold of my arm, so hard that I could feel her nails digging into my skin. Her countenance was panicked, bordering on hysterical, and I felt another sliver of unease slice through my insides, harder and more acute this time. "No!" she shrieked, "Don't go, please! You don't know what's out there! I don't want anything to happen to you!_

_"Nothing's going to happen to me," I replied with a nonchalance I did not feel, __"And I'm not going anywhere without my mom."_

"_Ev, please! Let's just go to Fort Benning!"_

"_Would you leave Micah behind?" I asked her challengingly, referring to her four-year-old son. I got my answer when she immediately went rigid. We were on the same wavelength now. "Where is Micah, by the way?"_

"_I left him with Tyler. I'm meeting them in Tyler's mom's house. Ebony's boyfriend lives a couple of blocks away from them so she's giving me a ride."_

"_Good. Hold on to your phone. I'll call you once I've picked up my mom. Hey Jessie," I grabbed her shoulders, ducking my head to meet her eyes. She managed to look back at me, tears filling her eyes. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise," I told her, hoping to God that this would be the case._

_She looked at me thoroughly, as though memorizing every feature of mine, then launched herself at me. "Please be careful, Ev," she whispered in my ear._

_I returned her hug earnestly, praying that this wouldn't be the last time I see her. I hopped into my car and set off on the hour-long drive. The radio was on, the newsfeeds running seemingly on a loop:_

"_Residents of Georgia have been ordered by authorities to evacuate immediately to the larger neighboring cities. Texas and Florida have opened up their borders and refugee camps and shelters have been set up around Georgia, notably Fort Benning. US troops have been deployed downtown to assist local police in curbing the unrest stemming from this mystery epidemic. No word as of yet how far this disease could spread and if there is any known cure…_"

_Another radio station had an entirely different take on what was going on, relayed by what sounded like doomsday conspiracy theorists. Two guys named Kirk and Eugene were enthusiastic, almost fanatical with their broadcast, claiming they couldn't wait to get started in this emerging world, the 'real world', they called it. It still hadn't quite occurred to me that any of this was real. I doubted it ever would._

_I called my mom, doing my best not to sound panicked when I spoke to her, but she was already panicked enough for both of us. "Oh Evelyn, thank God you're alright!" she said in relief. "I've been trying to reach you for the past half-hour!"_

_"__I'm fine, mom. What about you?"_

_"I'm okay, I…You have to be careful, Evy! I don't know what's going on! I'm hearing screaming coming from Mrs. Avery's house. I want to go see what's going on, to make sure she's okay, but-"_

_"__No mom, I need you to stay right where you are," I instructed her. "Lock all the doors! Do not go outside and do not open the door unless it's me. And start packing your stuff. I'm coming to get you. Get only the essentials." I was lucky; I was already meant to travel down to King County for my week off so I already had my stuff in my trunk. I'd return to my apartment once this thing blew over, but my main concern right now was Mom._

_I could hear her sniffling through the phone. "Evy, I'm scared."_

_Me too, momma. Me too. "I know. Sit tight. I'm on my way. I'll see you soon." From then on, the pedal was on the floor, racing to King County. Mom's illness made her rather forgetful. I would tell her something, and ten seconds later she wouldn't remember a thing I said. I could only pray to God that she did this time. Her life depended on it._

_Driving through Atlanta and into King County, there was chaos everywhere – people running around, looters invading grocery stores and clothes stores. A gas station was on fire. __Jessie hadn't been lying about Karina's story, about people attacking other people, devouring each other. I fought back the bile and didn't stop until I got to mom's house. And I did in record time. Her neighborhood seemed untouched, but I couldn't tell. It didn't matter either – I just wanted us out of here._

_Mom threw open the door. "Oh thank God! Evelyn, what's going on?"_

"_I'll explain later. Right now we gotta go. Have you packed?" I went to the kitchen first, piled food and water into one trash bag._

"_Yes, I got a few things." She followed me into the kitchen, glancing out the window at the house next door. "What on earth is Mark doing?" She gasped. "Oh my God…he's eating Christina!"_

_I couldn't bring myself to look, pouring my energy into retrieving essentials._ "_Away from the windows, mom!" _

"_Evelyn, what is happening out there?" Flustered, she turned to me, her blonde hair disheveled and eyes so wide they were about to pop out of their sockets. I explained the best way I could about what I'd seen and heard; the dead resurrecting, the news broadcasts, how badly the disease was spreading. For all I cared, those things had gotten Mrs. Avery too and honestly, I wasn't about to risk mine or my mom's to find out. _

_I ran upstairs, searched for dad's camping bag and raided his gun closet, picking out his semi-automatic shotgun, three handguns and two pistols, loading one of them. Carefully strapped with weapons and ammo, I returned to the kitchen and stopped in my tracks when I saw two of those things stumbling in through the back door; Mark, Mrs. Avery's gardener and someone else I couldn't recognize. This was the first time I was seeing these things up close, cloudy, lifeless eyes, bloody, mangled teeth and bite marks oozing from their skin, and it spooked the hell out of me. I composed myself enough to raise my gun and fire two bullets into each of their heads, just like Kirk and Eugene had instructed via their broadcast. Yeah, I listened. _

_Panic swept over me at the sight of the open back door. Mom must have forgotten to lock it. "Mom?" I rushed out into the back yard, looking around for her, cursing when more of those monsters spotted me and ambled over. __I slammed the door shut and was locking it when a blood-curdling scream tore through the air. My blood turned to ice when I realized it was my mother. I raced into the living room and halted at the sight before me. Mrs. Avery had found her way into the house and was now latched onto my mother, sinking her teeth into her arm. Mom fell to her knees, screaming in pain as her flesh was ripped savagely from its bones._

_"__No!" I screamed wildly, lifting my gun and firing once, twice, three times. I didn't stop until Mrs. Avery stopped moving. I scrambled towards Mom, cradling her gently in my arms, an anguished cry escaping me at the sight of the massive, bleeding bite on her right arm. "Oh God, momma…no, no, no…" I wailed, pressing a corner of my t-shirt over the wound to try and staunch the flow of blood. I couldn't believe this was happening, to my own mother. This was a nightmare I desperately wanted to wake up from._

_Tears filled Mom's eyes, fisting my shirt tightly with her good hand. "God, Evy, it hurts," she wheezed, "it hurts so bad."_

"_I'm sorry, momma." I had failed her. I was meant to take her to Fort Benning, take her to safety, and I failed. And the guilt would rip me apart for the rest of my days._

"_No, _I'm_ sorry," she said, wincing in pain as she shook her head. "I'm sorry that you went through so much pain and anger so young…losing your dad, the bankruptcy, you dropping out, dancing…I didn't do enough to protect you from any of it and I'm sorry." __She paused, overtaken by a coughing fit, and my heart broke with each sound.__ "And I'm sorry, for being such a burden, a liability. Look at me – I can't even remember to do something as simple as locking the door."_

_I shook my head frantically, tears rolling freely down my face. "Don't say that, momma. You're not a burden to me. Never have been."_

_Mom swallowed hard, and even that was now a difficult task. "Look on the bright side…at least I'll get to see your father again," she said, her eyes wistful. "We'll watch over you together."_

_Unable to give any sort of__ response__, I could only __bite into my knuckles to stop myself from bawling. That she was readily accepting her death killed me. __I watched helplessly as she tugged off her necklace – the little silver angel she never took off, Dad gave it to her when they were younger – and pressed it into my hand. _"_You are strong, Evy Bear, and you are smart, and you are going to make it through this. Your father and I didn't raise you any other way…" Another coughing fit. "__And if you ever get a chance at finding love…you take it. You seize it with both hands and never let go."_

"_Oh, Mom!" A romantic till the end._

"_I mean it, Evelyn. If deep down in your heart, it feels right, if he's the one…then never let him go. I want for you what your father and I had. I want you to feel the way he made me feel, because you deserve to experience that kind of love." She squeezed my hand weakly, her grey eyes, so much like mine, boring into me. "Promise me, Evelyn. Promise you'll always do what is right by you."_

_I never could refuse her anything. "I promise."_

_Satisfied with my answer, Mom rested her head on my shoulder. "My beautiful Evy Bear," she whispered. Her voice had become so faint, so weak, that I barely heard her. "My wonderful little girl, my miracle__…_you're my greatest achievement, the best thing that ever happened to me…I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you…"

_T__ears blurred my vision as I leaned over to press my forehead against her__s__. "I love you too, momma. Always and forever," I told her thickly, reciting the three words that were engraved on my parents' wedding rings._

_She smiled knowingly at the reference, then leaned back against me and closed her eyes. Then suddenly, her grip on my hand went lax, and she went still. I could no longer hear her heartbeat. I could no longer feel my own heart. I__ don't know how long I sat there for. Minutes? Hours? Days? I didn't know, and I didn't care. I cared about nothing anymore._

_By some miracle, Mom stirred. I leaned back in complete shock, watching her fingers twitch, and I could hear her breathing; a raspy, rattling sound from deep within her. Then her eyes opened, and the warm, familiar silver irises had given way to a vacant, cloudy abyss. She started to move in earnest, reaching for me and growling hungrily, desperately. This was no miracle. I wouldn't wish this disease, this new parasitic life, on my worst enemy, let alone my own flesh and blood. And right then and there, I knew what had to be done. _

_Without a word, I pressed the gun to my mother's head and pulled the trigger. The shot rang in my ears, her blood sprayed my face. Her small body hit the floor with a dull thud. She did not move again. I stared down at her for a long moment before hysterical sobs took over every fiber of my being. I collapsed over her body in utter devastation, wanting nothing more than to remain there with her, to close my eyes and never wake up again._

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_**A/N: Long chapter. Thoughts?**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Tweaked the last chapter a bit, just letting you all know. :)**_

_**So…someone PM'd me to say my story would have been better if Daryl was the lead. *sigh* Nearly 5,000 Daryl fics, you'd think she'd go looking for one of those instead of criticizing mine. Oh well…**_

_**To the lovely **__**DarylDixon'sLover, wabi-sabi1090, LiviLottie, Annabel, bluecrush611, peenislover, dropxdeadxjuliet, Claire, DarkestInk, Tocato and Guest, **__**thank you for your last reviews, and for appreciating Elastic Heart as a RICK story. And thanks to the new follows and favorites. Each feedback motivates me and I truly appreciate it. Thanks again!**_

* * *

At Patricia's advice, Evelyn didn't leave Maggie's room until later in the afternoon. She was relieved when Patricia informed her she could take her stitches out later. Stepping out of the house was extremely refreshing. The sun and the light breeze felt good on her skin. Injured or not, she was never really big on staying cooped up indoors.

She passed by Dale with a warm smile, kissed Carol on the cheek at the campfire and met up with Glenn. "Looking good, Lara Croft," he grinned.

"Are you still flirting with me, Mr. Rhee?" she asked, flashing him a playful smile of her own.

Glenn's eyebrows shot up and pointed at himself. "Me? Flirting? You must be mistaken. I can't flirt to save my life."

"Well whatever it is you're doing, it's got you Maggie now. Thought you'd have quit putting the moves on me. Maybe it's your thing, but I don't like to share, sorry," Evelyn joked, holding back laughter at the look on his face. He was so easy to mess with. When his frown persisted however, she realized something was wrong. "What's the matter?"

He looked like he was about to give her an answer, but he shook his head quickly instead. "Don't worry about it." He gestured with his chin past Evelyn's shoulder and lowered his voice. "He's been down all morning."

Against her better judgment, she followed Glenn's gaze over her shoulder. A few feet away, Rick sat outside his tent with Carl, perusing over something she couldn't see from that distance, with Lori looking on from inside the tent. Glenn was right. He didn't look as enthusiastic as he usually did when hanging out with his son. Evelyn didn't dare allow herself to believe it was their earlier exchange that was making him moody. "I heard about the kid," she said, changing the topic. Maggie had filled her in the time she came to check on her. "What happened?"

And from there, Glenn proceeded to tell her everything, from Dave and Tony and the shootout, to Randall impaling his leg on a fence, his buddies abandoning him and the Walkers swarming Rick, Glenn and Hershel as they tried to save him. It all sounded pretty chaotic and it was even more reason to be thankful that they had returned to the farm in one piece.

"Rick didn't want us to leave him there," Glenn frowned. "I don't understand why, nor do I care. He shot at us, and he probably would've kept shooting if he hadn't gotten hurt." He paused, biting his lip doubtfully. "I don't know, Ev. I've got a bad feeling about this. What if his friends decide they want to look for him? He could lead them right to us."

Evelyn stood silently, taking in all he was saying. She cast another glance at Rick before turning back around, keeping a stoic expression.

"Well, aren't you going to go find out about his latest master plan?" asked Glenn, noting her reluctance to approach Rick.

Evelyn eyed him like he'd grown a second head. "Why me? Last time I checked, you also have two feet and a working mouth."

"Because you have his ear, I've told you that. He listens to you, and you seem to know how his mind works. Convince him that keeping Randall with us isn't a good idea." Glenn gave her a pleading look that Evelyn thought he should have outgrown at his age. Sucking in a resigned breath, she began her halfhearted journey towards the former Sheriff. She didn't know if he would even speak to her, after the way she dismissed him.

"Hey Carl," she bumped fists with him and peered down at what he was doing – math problems.

"Hi Evelyn, feeling better?"

"Much, thanks."

"I'm glad," Carl nodded sincerely, a gesture which warmed Evelyn, but the feeling quickly dissipated when she turned to Rick, noting his stony expression and how he avoided her eyes. This wasn't going to be easy, she surmised. "Rick, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Rick wavered initially, glancing over at Lori as though asking for permission, but she had conveniently disappeared into their tent. Exhaling deeply, he ruffled Carl's hair, rose and followed Evelyn, walking side by side with her. "How are you feeling?" His voice was gruff and low, his eyes trained on her injured leg.

"Better." Evelyn shoved her hands into the back pockets of her shorts, watching him closely. He kept his gaze down, his mouth set in a thin, determined line. She took advantage of the awkward silence. "I'm sorry about what happened this morning," she began. "I wasn't in the best of moods."

Rick snorted derisively. "Yeah, I got that," he mumbled gruffly, and Evelyn pursed her lips. Obviously she wasn't in the clear just yet, but at least she'd apologized. Whatever he wanted to make out of it was up to him. "So what's this I'm hearing about you bringing back some kid from town?" she inquired, delving straight down to business. That had to be better than the awkwardness that had settled between them. "How did that happen?"

Luckily Rick also appreciated the change in subject. "He was hurt. There were Walkers everywhere. We weren't just going to leave him behind to be ripped apart."

"I heard he shot at you," Evelyn said. "And from what Glenn told me, you also killed two of their men. How do you know his people won't come looking for him, or at least looking for revenge?"

"Randall's people left him for dead once he got into trouble," Rick interrupted, "And he was probably just following orders. We couldn't just leave him there. He's not a threat, not now that his leg his busted." He spoke with a finality that Evelyn decided not to contest. They were still on shaky ground after all. "So where is he now?"

Rick pointed, and her eyes fell upon the shed next to the barn. "Shane and I are gonna head out tomorrow morning. Drive as far away from the farm as possible, then we dump the kid on the road and head back."

"So Shane agrees with this?" Evelyn had to ask.

"Shane wants him dead," was the flat reply.

"No surprise there," She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you sure you want to do this with Shane? Can't you get Daryl or T-Dog to go with you?"

Rick narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"Just…" she started, then stopped. Evelyn didn't believe that Rick couldn't see the increasingly disturbing turn his best friend was taking. She remembered Dale's ominous warnings about Shane; the truth about Otis. The barn massacre, Shane lying to get her and Lori back to the farmhouse. She didn't know if she should be the one pointing it all out to Rick. More importantly, she wasn't sure how he would take it. Either he would completely dismiss the allegations or he'd spend too much time obsessing over it. Neither was the right choice. "Nothing," she said finally. "Just be careful when you head out, alright?"

Rick looked at her. "I will."

The seriousness on her face suddenly morphed into something more playful. "So…do you still need me to grovel some more?" she smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Am I forgiven, or do I still gotta run into town, get you an I'm-sorry-please-forgive-me card and a dozen dying-slash-dead roses?" she asked, grinning at his attempt not to smile. "Well?"

Chuckling, the former cop shook his head good-naturedly and waved her away. "Fine, fine, enough with the dramatics. All is forgiven."

"Good. I appreciate it." Patting his shoulder, she then made to go join Carol at the campfire.

"Evelyn," Rick called, and she turned around expectantly. Taking a tentative step forward, he glanced down at the ground, clearing his throat. "I should have told you…about the baby."

Evelyn's heart clenched painfully. "What for?"

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know. I just…" He trailed off, his mind grasping for the right words as he scratched the back of his neck. Evelyn couldn't read his face, and for once she was glad she couldn't. "You didn't _have_ to tell me," she corrected, "Don't ever feel like you have to tell me anything, Rick. Besides, it was yours and Lori's news to share as you see fit." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Congratulations. I'm really happy for you," she said, hoping her voice adequately conveyed the happiness she did not feel.

Rick returned the smile she gave him, wanting more than ever to know what she was thinking. "Thank you," he replied, but she had already hurried away.

* * *

The next morning, Rick and Shane drove out with Randall blindfolded in the trunk of their car. Evelyn was able to convince Maggie to take a break from watching over Beth. The two women ended up at the stables, tending to the horses. "So this is the girl that put the great Daryl Dixon out on his ass," Evelyn laughed, stroking Nervous Nelly's silky mane.

"The same one," Maggie giggled. Evelyn fed a sugar cube to Nelly. "I rode a horse not too long ago. I was with Rick, we were escaping King County, and my car ran out of gas. We found a horse at a farm somewhere and used it to travel to Atlanta."

"Glenn told me about finding you and Rick in a tank in the city," said Maggie.

"Yeah. Our horse got overrun, and we had to hide out in this huge tank. Glenn saved us that day, literally."

Maggie said nothing, watching Evelyn feed Nelly. "I've always thought Glenn liked you, ya know?" she confessed quietly.

Evelyn looked up. "Really?"

"The first time you guys came here, when Carl got shot, I saw him talking to you and he had this little sparkle in his eyes, ya know?" Maggie stuttered a little, a hint of jealously in her tone, and Evelyn thought it was actually cute. The blonde woman had always guessed Glenn had a little crush on her, but that was nothing now compared to what he was feeling for Hershel's eldest daughter. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," she assured her. "It's pretty safe to say he's only got eyes for you now." When Maggie scowled in response, Evelyn got confused, and recalled Glenn doing the same at the mention of Maggie. "What's up with you? Did something happen between you two?"

Maggie sighed after a moment of uneasy silence. "Back in town, when Randall's friends were shooting at them…Glenn said he froze. He blames me, said I got inside his head."

"What? How?"

A shy look crossed her pretty face. "I told him I love him."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "Wow." Maggie was a very bold woman, bolder than she was, that was for sure. The thought of blurting out such a thing to Rick made her shudder with dread and abject humiliation. "Blaming it on the woman though, how nice of him," she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

Unfortunately Maggie didn't see the funny side, and disappointment clouded her features. "But things were good. Maybe I shouldn't have said-"

"What? That you love him? But that's how you feel about him. You can't change how you feel, can you?"

The younger woman shook her head sadly. "I just think he's afraid of what my dad would say," she said.

"And that's noble of him," said Evelyn, "But it's no excuse. He's a big boy, old enough to make his own choices. So next time you see him, you tell him to man up and get his shit together. Just because it's the apocalypse don't mean you'll wait around for his ass." She dusted off her hands. "But whatever you do, don't actually _say _'man up'. For some god-awful reason they feel emasculated when you do."

The two women laughed, easing the tension. "Seriously though," the blonde woman continued. "Glenn has become a friend to me, and I want him to be happy. I want you both to be happy. So go for it. We all need some happiness, especially when you take in everything that's been going on around us."

Maggie smiled at the other woman. She always enjoyed talking with Evelyn. She thought of her as the cool older sister she'd always wanted. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Evelyn shook her head easily. "Not recently. My last relationship was nearly a year ago. Didn't end too well."

"What happened?"

"Caught him in bed with his secretary. They'd been at it for weeks."

"I'm sorry," Maggie said sincerely.

Evelyn shrugged. "Nah. It was for the best."

"Maybe." Maggie slowly approached her. "I think you're a nice woman, Evelyn. I want you to be happy too, with _whomever_ you want to be happy with."

Evelyn blinked. "Thanks…I guess," she replied hesitantly, tilting her head curiously. There was a sense of mischief that laced Maggie's statement, and she had to wonder what exactly Maggie thought she knew.

Maggie's smile merely broadened, and with a sly wink, she set about busying herself around the stable.

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**_A/N: Please review! What did you think about all the segments? :)_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Awww, you guys are killing me with the amazing feedback. I genuinely didn't realize how many people are reading EH. Considering it's my very first TWD fic, it's blowing my mind. Big hug and kisses to DarylDixon'sLover, LiviLottie, wabi-sabi1090, iheartteensoaps, Tocato, DarkestInk, BethanyJo, peenislover, bluecrush611, dropxdeadxjuliet, Annabel, Guest, Claire and merrygolds, and for those reading in the shadows…come on loves, leave a review. Don't be shy. ;)**_

_**I am pleased to announce that the drama officially starts here. Ooh, it's going to be so exciting! :D Enjoy!**_

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No one quite knew how it happened, but tension levels suddenly escalated at the farmhouse. Beth had awoken, but was acting hostile towards everyone, Maggie included. Lori reported the teenage girl as suicidal, having to retrieve a knife she'd hidden under her blanket. Lori, Andrea and Evelyn waited in the kitchen, listening to Maggie and Beth yell at each other behind the door. As Evelyn went looking for Hershel, Lori and Andrea went back and forth over Beth's choice to take her own life, and by the time she returned, it had descended into a bitter argument. "She doesn't need to be yelled at, or treated like a child," Andrea was saying. Evelyn hung back in the shadows of the hallway, listening to every word.

"She needs a loaded gun right?" Lori retorted sarcastically. "So you understand if I don't send you in there, right?"

"I came through it."

"And became such a productive member of the group," Lori scoffed.

"I contribute!" Andrea argued. "I help keep this place safe."

"The men can handle it on their own. They don't need your help."

"I'm sorry, what would you have me do?"

"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around," Lori responded.

"Are you serious? Everything falls apart and you're in my face over skipping laundry?"

"It puts a burden on the rest of us. On me, Carol, Patricia and Maggie, cooking and cleaning and caring for Beth," Lori pointed out to Andrea. "And you, you don't care about anyone but yourself. You sit up on that RV, working on your tan with a shotgun on your lap, you and Evelyn."

Evelyn scowled, wondering how the hell she'd gotten dragged into this. Then again, she couldn't say she was surprised. She didn't like Lori, and Lori didn't like her. They were never going to get along, and frankly, she couldn't care less.

"I am on watch against Walkers," Andrea hissed. "And I don't know what problems you and Evelyn have with each other, and I don't care. We also have our differences but she helps keep this place safe too. And that is what matters, not fresh mint leaves and lemonade!"

"We are providing stability here," said Lori. "We are trying to create a life worth living!"

Andrea almost laughed. "Are you kidding me?"

"Look…I went after Rick," Lori defended herself, "I took down two Walkers-"

"And crashed Maggie's car," the older blonde woman cut in, "You and Evelyn ever apologize for that?"

"Crashing her…" Lori trailed off, "You're insane."

"No, _you_ are!" Andrea snapped, "And _you're_ the one that's self-centered – the way you take it all for granted!"

"My husband is out there for the _hundredth_ time! My son was shot. Don't you dare tell me that I take this for granted!" Lori yelled. A part of Evelyn wanted to make her presence known, to step in before things escalated, but she stopped herself, letting the women eviscerate each other.

"You don't get it do you? Rick came back from the dead. Your son too, and now you got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses, me, Carol, Beth, but you just keep on keepin' on!"

Evelyn heard Lori say something back but it was drowned out by the scornful timbre of Andrea's voice. It was clear the other woman had had enough of Rick's wife. "Playing house, acting like the queen bee; laying down rules for everyone but yourself! You know what? Go ahead! Go in there and tell that little girl that everything's going to be okay, just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, a son, baby…_boyfriend_."

Andrea paused for effect, letting her words sink in. Evelyn heard Lori's intake of breath and bit her lip. So, the worst kept secret was well and truly out. She quickly stepped away to think about what she'd just heard. She found it strange that Andrea harbored similar feelings towards Lori as she did. It was only a couple of days ago that she and Andrea were at loggerheads themselves. Even back at the quarry, though there were few words spoken to each other, a tension simmered between them, with Andrea's high-and-mighty attitude rubbing Evelyn the wrong way and drawing her towards her gregarious, more open-minded little sister Amy. To know that they now shared something in common was rather bizarre.

* * *

Rick and Shane returned with Randall, alive to everyone's surprise, until they heard that Randall knew the Greene family. He went to school with Maggie and knew who Hershel was. That meant he knew exactly where the farmhouse was. With this knowledge, they had to bring him back, and they locked him back in the shed to further debate on his fate. Dale championed his release, but the others were more skeptical, including Evelyn. But she said nothing so that she wouldn't hurt the old man's feelings.

Quietly, she slipped away the group, taking a walk around the farm, marveling not for the first time at its beauty, its serenity, the haven it provided. He probably didn't realize it, but Hershel had really hit the jackpot with this place. She only hoped his luck wouldn't run out anytime soon. She came across the pump that supplied water to the livestock and took out her water bottle. She would have used iodine, like the way her dad had taught her, to purify the water, but she didn't have any. She would ask T-Dog to help her boil it.

She felt, rather than heard the approaching footsteps, and watched with narrowed eyes as Shane walked over, his thumbs looped through the belt holes in his pants. They hardly spoke to each other, and Evelyn liked it that way. She'd never felt easy around him, and all these suspicions now swirling around him didn't help matters. "Something you want, Shane?"

"I was hoping you could talk some sense into Rick," he said when he neared her, cutting to the chase, "He's about to get us all killed with this Randall crap."

"And you couldn't tell that to Lori?"

"We're not exactly on speaking terms," he replied curtly. "Besides, Rick don't listen to her the way he listens to you."

Evelyn was starting to tire of hearing that. "What happened to your face?" she questioned.

"We took Randall to a school, it was overrun by Walkers," Shane lied smoothly. "They came for us. It was quite the battle."

Evelyn stared hard at him. "Huh," was all she said.

"Look. Woulda tried to tell Rick myself but he ain't listening to me. And the group…they think I'm dangerous."

"Are you?" she challenged. They both knew the answer to that.

"How 'bout you find out for yourself?" Shane moved closer to her, and she fought the urge to back away. "Come with me, Evelyn. Let's get outta here. This place is going to hell, just like the CDC and everywhere else. Rick's brought a war to our front door, and we're all going to sit here and wait for it like sitting ducks? I can't do that, and I know you can't either. But we can leave. With our skills, we can go places, find somewhere we can both settle down."

Evelyn fixed him with a disbelieving stare. He had to be kidding. "Let me guess, you ask Lori to leave with you too?" she taunted. "Andrea? Did they say no? I'm your last resort now?"

"I never said that. But you know I'm right." Shane ducked his head to meet her eyes. "Look, I understand why you don't wanna leave. You gotta thing for Rick and-"

Evelyn's heart lurched. "Quite an imagination ya got there, Walsh."

"It's in your eyes, sweetheart," he interrupted. "But you gotta know that Rick is only looking out for his wife and his boy. All he's going to do is hurt you, because he has eyes for Lori and Lori alone. But me? I'm right here. I can take care of you, if that's what you want." He got even closer to her, his eyes slowly, lasciviously scanning her body from head to toe. "Come on, Ev. Leave with me." His voice dripped with conviction, seductive persuasion…the kind that would have made women want to move mountains for him.

But not Evelyn. She shook her head, turning away. "I think I'll pass, but thanks for the offer."

The artificial sweetness instantly vanished, replaced with icy resentment. "You're living in Fantasy Land, girl," Shane hissed venomously, blighted by her unexpected rejection. "It ain't never gonna happen with you and Rick. He's got Lori, and you're just going along for a ride. That's all it is, a ride."

"And you and Lori were what? Happily ever after?" Evelyn countered, placing one hand on her hip.

"At least Lori and I…she and I had something once, we _still_ have it," he stammered, his confident demeanor starting to unravel. "And I can get that back if I want."

The desperation that lingered in each word was so amazing, she almost laughed. "_If you want_?" she repeated, "And how exactly do you plan on getting it back? Make Rick disappear into thin air?" She did laugh this time. "Yeah, good luck with that, Shane."

Shane didn't answer, only glared at her, the rage simmering beneath his dark, handsome features. Evelyn refused to be intimidated by him, holding his stare evenly, allowing the agonizingly tense seconds to tick by until he finally spun around and stomped away.

* * *

_Both mom and dad are Walkers now. It used to be just mom before. They're chasing after me, that hasn't changed. The further I run the closer they get, growling and clawing at my heels. Just as dad's gnarled hand clamps down on my ankle, I startle awake._

_I'm in the driver's seat of my car, the vehicle swaying back and forth dangerously from the weight of pushing and snarling. I gasp in horror at all the Walkers surrounding the car – mom, dad, Jessie, Karina, Ebony, even little Micah – faces I recognize, mine a face they only recognize as fresh meat. I try to start the car, but to no avail. They press from all corners of the car, banging their rotted fists on the windows until the glass begins to explode all around me. They're climbing inside, reaching for me. I scream, but there's no sound. Then I'm falling fast, plunging into the darkness…_

Like a drowning man breaking through the water's surface, Evelyn's eyes flew open, her body arching off the bed as she drew in a hoarse, panicked breath. For several seconds she remained bewildered, her grey eyes darting everywhere as she struggled to take in the dark surroundings. She swallowed, her throat feeling like she'd eaten a bag of sawdust. She needed air, needed out of this tent, right now.

Putting on her boots and hastily buttoning up a shirt, she exited her tent and stepped onto the campground. It was dark but the moon provided illumination, and the air was cool, bringing relief to her heated skin. She walked towards Shane's Hyundai Tucson, the vehicle furthest from the campsite, and hoisted herself onto the hood, finally allowing the tears to fall from her eyes. She cried for her parents, body-wracking sobs that both suffocated and relieved her. She cried for her friends. Jessie and the other girls. She wondered where they were; if they had made it out alive, or if they were now roaming the earth, waiting to be put out of their misery. She thought of her self-defense students and hoped wherever they were, they were putting to good use the Twisted Twig technique she'd shown them at the last class. These days, all she could do was hope.

She heard footsteps behind her and sat up, on high alert. She'd forgotten her gun in her tent. When Rick emerged from the darkness, she relaxed, then quickly dried her tears. What was he doing up so late? "Sneaking up on me again?" she smirked despite herself.

He shrugged casually. "Can't help myself." He took a long look at her. "Nightmare?"

Knowing lying was pointless, she nodded silently. He gave her a sad look, but did not probe further. "Mind if I sit down?" He waited for her to agree before he hauled himself onto the hood beside her. They stared out into the moonlit horizon, sitting side by side, basking in the nocturnal silence and each other's company. "You know…I never thanked you," Rick began.

"For what?"

"For saving my life." Evelyn looked at him in confusion. "Back in Atlanta. Remember when we were under the tank, surrounded by all those Walkers, when I put my gun to my head?

Evelyn would never forget it. "You didn't see a way out. I don't blame you."

"But I woulda left you alone, all by yourself, against all those Walkers." He chuckled bitterly. "Wonder what the group would think if they found out I nearly offed myself at the first sign of trouble. Not quite the leader they think me to be, am I?"

"Nothing would change how they feel. It was a desperate situation, and that you overcame it speaks volumes about you."

"_You_ saw a way out. You never gave up. I nearly did. If you hadn't shown me the hatch..." He swallowed hard and stared down at his hands.

Evelyn scoffed, shaking her head sadly. "Oh, you have no idea how many times I've considered ending it all. Even before the world went to shit."

Rick stared at her, waiting for her to continue. She inhaled deeply. "My dad was gone. My mom went off the rails. I was the one trying to be strong for everyone. I felt like I was in hell. I got so tired of it all...one night I swiped this bottle of sleeping pills from one of the girls at the club. Went home, started popping them one by one…"

Breaking off, she stared up at the night sky, willing the returning tears away. "When Beth slit her wrist today…I understood why. Every bit of what she was feeling, I'd felt before – the helplessness, the hopelessness. At that point, taking your own life is the best solution, the easy way out. But you have to stop and look around you, and find that one thing you feel is still worth living for. Some people do, others don't. For me, it was my mom. The thought of leaving her alone in this world, so soon after dad left…I just couldn't do it.

"By the fourth pill, I stopped. Returned the bottle the next night. From then on I focused on being better for myself, for my mom, for my students. I tried to pay more attention to people…listened more, you know? Just in case someone was feeling the same way, and I could help them."

Rick watched her intently, visibly moved. He gently squeezed her shoulder. "Well, you made the right choice, staying alive, because I would never have met you."

"Ditto." She smiled at him, then frowned when she caught sight of his bruised forehead. "Shane did this to you, didn't he?"

Sighing tiredly, Rick bowed his head. "He doesn't think I can protect us anymore."

"You know that's bullshit, right?" Her eyes narrowed when Rick didn't answer, choosing to rake his fingers through his dark hair. "Well, it is. Hershel left you to handle Randall. Notice how he's been doing that lately? Leaving you in charge of things?" Rick nodded hesitantly. "That's because he knows you're our leader. Not Shane. Not Dale or even Daryl. _You_. He trusts you will handle things right. He knows it's your call, Rick, and he knows you'll make the right one. And so do I, for what it's worth."

Quietly processing her words, Rick felt somewhat uplifted. She seemed to be the only one giving him any support regarding all these tough decisions. Shane definitely wasn't, and Lori was being vague with hers. While he knew Evelyn looked up to him, he didn't feel that same pressure of dependence from her that he was feeling from the others. Because they'd endured so much together on their way to finding the group, there was an innate trust between the two. She was by his side, not behind him, and that was encouraging. "You always seem to know what to tell me," he remarked, looking at her.

Laughing quietly, she brushed her thumb over the cut on his head, "Meh, I just wing it really." Her gaze cut to his. His blue eyes were brightened by the moonlight, making them even more mesmerizing, and giving her the sensation of being cast under a spell. Her hand lingered on his face, cherishing the warmth of his skin, the prickly scruffiness of his beard. They sat inappropriately close now, her bare knee touching his own, but neither noticed nor cared. Without breaking eye contact, Rick took her hand, and she expected him to push it away. Instead, he weaved his fingers through hers, linking them. He looked into her eyes, and Evelyn couldn't breathe. She couldn't remember ever experiencing this kind of thrill from something as chaste as holding hands. She watched his gaze flicker down to her mouth. When Shane did it, she felt repulsed. Now, desire blazed through her like a flame to gasoline. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. As they both leaned in, a battle raged within her. A line was about to be crossed and though her sensible side urged her that she had to put a stop to it, her body rebelled. _This was all you've ever wanted, _it urged._ You both want this, so take it.  
_

But she couldn't.

So at the last minute, right before their lips met, she ducked her head. That was enough to bring Rick crashing back down to earth, the realization of what he was about to do washing over him like a bucket of cold water. He abruptly pulled his hand out of hers and slid off the car, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I should head back," he murmured. "You should try to get some sleep."

"Yeah." Evelyn flicked her blonde hair out of her eyes and clenched her fists at her sides. "Thank you for staying with me."

"No problem." His glance at her lasted for less than a second. "Goodnight, Evelyn."

"Goodnight, Rick."

She didn't dare look at him as he left.

* * *

_**A/N: Jesus, I talk too much, don't I? **_

_**Chapter 15 is ready, but I'm going to be a tease and wait for plenty reviews to show up before I upload. Har har ;) Hope I did this chapter justice though. Andrea/Lori! Evelyn/Shane! Evelyn/Rick! Tell me what you thought about it all!**_


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